What Is the Function of Seeds & Spores in Plants?

Ferns reproduce by shedding spores from the underside of its leaves.

Spores and seeds are both methods of plant reproduction. Spores are produced by plants that produce asexually, seeds by those that use methods of sexual reproduction. Both are meant to scatter the genetic code of a plant to new territory so the next generation can grow away from the parent plant.

Spores

These are reproductive cells able to develop into a new plant without fertilization. They are commonly found on algae, mosses, fungi and ferns. Spores tend to grow on the underside of leaves and can best be seen on plants such as ferns.

Spore Dispersal

When mature, spores are shed by the parent plant and depend largely on wind dispersal. Plants that live on the edges of lakes, bogs, or streams may shed their spores into the water which then carries the spores off.

Seeds

Seeds must be created by sexual reproduction, known in plants as pollination. A male and female reproductive cell, called gametes, must fuse to form a seed that is capable of growing into a new plant.

Flowers

Flowers are nature's way to help seed producing plants with pollination. They contain the male organs, the stamen, which produce and hold the pollen and the female ovaries which contain the ovules which will become seeds after fertilization. Pollination is aided by birds, insects and animals as well as by wind dispersion.

Seed Dispersal

Seeds can be surrounded by fleshy fruits, which are eaten by animals that in turn scatter the seeds as they leave their digestive tracts. Nuts are seeds that are eaten and sometimes buried as food stores by animals such as squirrels. The forgotten nuts then have the chance to grow. Seeds can also be dispersed by the wind, such as tiny dandelion seeds.

References

• Encyclopedia Britanica, spores
• Think Quest, plant reproduction
• Biology of Plants, seed dispersal

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Plant Reproduction Diagrams