Sexual Reproduction Quiz

1. What is fertilisation?

• A. The transfer of pollen from anther to stigma
• B. The fusion of the nuclei of two gametes
• C. The division of a cell into two identical daughter cells
• D. The growth of a pollen tube down the style

2. Which statement about gametes and zygotes is correct?

• A. Gametes are diploid and zygotes are haploid
• B. Both gametes and zygotes are diploid
• C. Gametes are haploid and zygotes are diploid
• D. Both gametes and zygotes are haploid

3. Which feature would you expect in a wind-pollinated flower rather than an insect-pollinated flower?

• A. Large, brightly coloured petals
• B. Sticky, spiky pollen grains
• C. Feathery stigmas hanging outside the flower
• D. Strong scent and nectar

4. A gardener notices that a self-pollinating pea plant produces offspring with very little variation between generations, while a cross-pollinating plant nearby produces more varied offspring. Explain why cross-pollination produces more variation.

• A. Cross-pollination uses mitosis instead of fertilisation
• B. Cross-pollination combines genetic material from two different plants, whereas self-pollination combines genetic material from a single plant
• C. Self-pollination does not involve fertilisation at all
• D. Cross-pollination prevents seed formation

5. A sperm cell and an egg cell are compared under a microscope. The sperm is tiny with a tail and many mitochondria; the egg is much larger with food stores and a jelly coat. Explain how each of these features suits the gamete's function.

• A. The sperm's tail and mitochondria provide energy for swimming to the egg; the egg's food stores nourish the early embryo and its jelly coat prevents fertilisation by more than one sperm
• B. The sperm's tail helps it photosynthesise; the egg's jelly coat helps it swim
• C. Both features are irrelevant to fertilisation and only affect fetal growth
• D. The mitochondria in sperm store the genetic material; the jelly coat in the egg transports oxygen