Papaya trees

Hi Everyone,

I would like to advocate deep thinking when you pursue a study. It does not necessarily mean that you are going to be stressed up. A way out from the so perceived stress is to learn to enjoy learning new things. It is like making a discovery. WOW!

I am attaching this particular document for your first consignment of input. We have done quite in dept discussion on our new topic of cycle. There are really so many things we can discover.

I would like you to embark on a purposeful journey now. As we have learned that the male part of a flower can best be remembered using the acronym ‘SAF’ – Stamen (the name for the male part of a flower) which consists of the Anther and Filament.

As for the female part of the flower, let’s consider ‘PSSOO’ – Pistil (the name for the female part of the flower) which consists of the Stigma, Style, Ovary and Ovules.

Just want to stress that the male reproductive cell (or gamete) consists of the pollen grains found within the anther. Once, the anther ruptures, due to the ripening or a dry spell, the pollen grains will be thrown forward and carried by wind. By chance, some of these pollen grains will arrive at the stigma and starts to develop pollen tubes to transport the male reproductive cell downwards towards the ovules. (The egg cell or the female reproductive cells of the flowers are found within each ovule.)

The transporting of the pollen grains from the anther to the stigma is called ‘pollination’.

The fusion of the male reproductive cell with the egg cell is called ‘fertilization’.

Upon fertilization, the ovary is transformed into a fruit gradually and the ovules into seeds. When this id complete, all other parts of the flower will fall off – the petals, the style, the anther with the filament. The flower stalk will become the fruit stalk.

It is amazing to observe such a complicated process taking place in a flower - the need for reproduction is the need for the plant to ensure the continuity of each own kind.

In the case of a papaya plant, the flowers are unisexual – with only one distinctive sex. Hence, papaya plants with male flowers only are male papaya plants and their function is to produce the pollen grains.

Likewise, papaya plants with only female flowers are female papaya plants and they produce the egg cells found in the ovules.

It is interesting to note that the base of the male flower is narrow as it does not have the bulky ovary.

Likewise, the base of the female flower is broad as it contains the ovary. (Please refer to the above diagrams.)

For the first attachment, I will only provide this much. I shall be sending you more this Saturday.

Regards,

Lion Lim