double fertilization
Two sperm fusions
Double fertilization is the reproductive process in flowering plants where two sperm cells fertilize two different cells in the ovule.
One sperm unites with the egg to form the embryo; the other fuses with polar nuclei to produce the endosperm, the tissue that nourishes the developing seed.
This mechanism is unique to angiosperms.
- ovuleUnfertilized seed structure
- egg cellFemale reproductive unit
- sperm cellsMale reproductive gametes
- endospermSeed's internal nutrient tissue
- triploidThree complete chromosome sets
stigma · integuments · seed coat · reproductive success · genetic diversity · carpel · gene expression · seed · fusion · tube · fruit · bloom · germination · flowering · flowering plants · pistil · egg · zygote
- reproductionreproduction, birth, baby, egg, sperm
- plant biologyphotosynthesis, chloroplast, pollination, stamen, pistil
- plant evolutionseed plants, angiosperms, gymnosperms, seeds, pollen
- plant growthbloom, bud, buds, flower, fruit
- pollinationpollinator, bees, bee pollination, hummingbirds, bee
- floweringbloom, blooming, blossom, bud, budding