1.

0 Introduction

"Gymnosperms" include all seed plants other than the angiosperms, or

flowering plants. The absence of an enclosing structure is believed to be
primitive, thus the first seed plants were "gymnosperms." The seeds of
"gymnosperms" are borne exposed in open structures, such as cones or
leaves. The derivation of the word "gymnosperm" means naked seeds and is
from the Greek words gymno meaning naked or bare and spermmeaning
seed. Fossil records indicate "gymnosperms" originated in the Paleozoic
Era, during the middle Devonian Period about 390 million years ago, and
reached their greatest diversity during the Mesozoic Era, between 60 to 225
million years ago. Although the "gymnosperms" were at one time treated as
one closely allied group, many modern workers recognize several major
groups, which include the commonly known conifers, cycads, and ginkgos,
and the lesser known gnetopsids group, extinct progymnosperms, and
extinct seed ferns. (Hilton, et.al., 2008).

The angiosperms, or flowering plants, are one of the major groups of extant
seed plants and arguably the most diverse major extant plant group on the
planet, with at least 260,000 living species classified in 453 families (Judd et
al., 2002; APG II, 2003; Soltis et al., 2005). They occupy every habitat on
Earth except extreme environments such as the highest mountaintops, the
regions immediately surrounding the poles, and the deepest oceans. They
live as epiphytes (i.e., living on other plants), as floating and rooted aquatics

in both freshwater and marine habitats, and as terrestrial plants that vary
tremendously in size, longevity, and overall form. They can be small herbs,
parasitic plants, shrubs, vines, lianas, or giant trees. There is a huge amount
of diversity in chemistry (often as a defense against herbivores),
reproductive morphology, and genome size and organization that is
unparalleled in other members of the Plant Kingdom. Furthermore,
angiosperms are crucial for human existence; the vast majority of the world's
crops are angiosperms, as are most natural clothing fibers. Angiosperms are
also sources for other important resources such as medicine and timber.
(Cole, et.al., 2009).

Objectives of this experiment are to describe the features of seed plant life
cycle and the concept of the dominant generation, to describe the life
histories and related reproductive structures of gymnosperms and
angiosperms, to summarize the features that distinguish gymnosperm and
angiosperm, and to discuss the advantages of seed plants to dominate land
and their evolutionary adaptations of land.

2.0 Materials
2.1 Gymnosperm
2.1.1 Living specimens of gymnosperm
2.1.2 Compound microscope
2.1.3 Dissecting microscope
2.1.4 Slide and coverslip
2.1.5 Forceps
2.1.6 Distilled water

2.2 Angiosperm
2.2.1 Living specimens of angiosperm :
2.2.1.1 Dicots and monocots with rots, stems, leaves,
2.2.2
2.2.3
2.2.4
2.2.5
2.2.6

flowers, fruits and seeds

Compound microscope
Dissecting microscope
Slide and coverslip
Forceps
Distilled water

3.0 Procedure
3.1 Gymnosperm
3.1.1 Pine
3.1.1.1 Differentiate between male and female cone of
Pinus sp.
3.1.1.2 Longitudinal section of female and male cone
examined. Megasporopyll, microsporophyll,
megasporangia, microsporangia, ovule and
pollen grains.
3.1.1.3 Examined the fertilization occurred.
3.1.1.4 Mature seed cone obtained.
3.1.1.5 Anotomy of pine leaf examined. Epidermis,

stoma, photosynthetic mesophyll, endodermis,

phloem, xylem, and resin duct identified.

3.2 Angiosperm
3.2.1 Leaves
3.2.1.1 Morphology of leaf arrangements and leaf
venation.
3.2.1.2 Structure of the leaves studied. Common
features such as cuticle, air space, lower
epidermis, upper epidermis, palisade
mesophyll, spongy mesophyll, and vascular
bundle.
3.2.2

Flowers
3.2.2.1 Longitudinal section of some flowers observed.
Parts of the flower named such as stigma,
pistil, style, ovary, sepal, receptacle, peduncle,
petal, filament stamen, and anther.

3.2.3

Fruits and Seeds

3.2.3.1 Fruit wall, cotyledon, plumule of embryo,
embryo, radical, cotyledon, seed coat,
pericarp, mesocarp,endocarp, locule, and
placenta identified.

4.0 Results
4.1 Gymnosperm

Pine

4.2 Angiosperm
4.2.1 Leaves

4.2.2

Flowers

Hibiscus

Allamanda

4.2.3

Fruits and seeds

Jackfruit

Langsat

Apple

Banana

Pineapple

Orange

Corn

Guava

5.0 Post Lab Questions

5.1 How to distinguish between a male and female cone of pine?
The Male cone will form at the bottom of the tree and is much
smaller

than

the

female

and

the

male

produces

the

pollen

and the female, produces the ovul and forms at the top of the tree.
5.2 Explain the characteristics of gymnosperm seeds to aid in dispersal.
Unlike animals, plants are limited in their ability to seek out favorable
conditions for life and growth. As a result, plants have evolved many ways
to disperse their offspring by dispersing their seeds (see also vegetative
reproduction). A seed must somehow "arrive" at a location and be there at
a time favorable for germination and growth. When the fruits open and
release their seeds in a regular way, it is called dehiscent, which is often
distinctive for related groups of plants; these fruits include capsules,
follicles, legumes, silicles and siliques. When fruits do not open and
release their seeds in a regular fashion, they are called indehiscent,
which include the fruits achenes, caryopsis, nuts, samaras, and utricles.
Seed dispersal is seen most obviously in fruits; however, many seeds aid
in their own dispersal. Some kinds of seeds are dispersed while still
inside a fruit or cone, which later opens or disintegrates to release the
seeds. Other seeds are expelled or released from the fruit prior to
dispersal. For example, milkweeds produce a fruit type, known as
a follicle, that

splits

open

along

one

side

to

release

seeds. Iris capsules split into three "valves" to release their seeds

5.3 List the common characteristics of seed plants.

the

All seed plants share two characteristics. They have vascular tissue and
use seeds to reproduce. In addition, they all have body plans that include
leaves, stems, and roots. Most seed plants live on land. Seed plants face
many challenges, including standing upright and supplying all their cells
with water and food. They meet these two challenges with vascular
tissue. The thick walls of the cells in the vascular tissue help support the
plants. In addition, water, food, and nutrients are transported throughout
the plants in vascular tissue. There are two types of vascular
tissue. Phloem is the vascular tissue through which food moves. When
food is made in the plant's leaves, it enters the phloem and travels to the
plant's stems and roots. Water and nutrients, on the other hand, travel in
the vascular tissue called xylem .The plant's roots absorb water and
nutrients from the soil. These materials enter the root's xylem and move
upward into the plant's stems and leaves. Seeds are structures that
contain a young plant inside a protective coating. One reason why seed
plants are so numerous is that they produce seeds. Seed plants do not
need water in their environment to reproduce like seedless plants do.
Even though different kinds of seeds look different from each other, they
all have a similar structure. A seed has three important parts: an embryo,
stored food, and a seed coat.
5.4 Contrast between dicots and monocots, the two classes of flowering
plant.
A dicot seed will look like a bean with two parts. Monocots have parallel
venation, fibrous root systems, lack true woody growth, flower parts come
in multiples of threes, stems have scattered vascular bundles, pollen has

one spore. Example : Palm trees, grasses, banana plants, orchids,

bamboo, bromeliads. Dicots have net venation, taproot system, ma have
woody growth, vascular bundels are in a ring, pollen has 3 spores,
flowers in parts of 4 or 5. Example :Oak trees, tomato, lettuce, hibiscus,
roses, apple tree.
5.5 Discuss the features of plant flowering fruits and seeds.
Seeds develop from ovules in the ovary, and at maturity consist of
an embryo and a reserve food supply surrounded by a protective covering,
the seed coat. The diversity of flowering plants assures diversity among their
seeds, but, unlike fruits, which have numerous variations, structural plans for
seeds are few. The reserve food can be stored either in or out of the embryo
and the cotyledon(s)the seed leavescan remain either below ground or
be elevated above the surface when germination occurs. Fruits are ripened
ovaries containing seeds with sometimes additional flower or inflorescence
tissues associated with them. Only angiosperms produce flowers and fruits.
From a botanical viewpoint, many of the foods we eat as vegetables are
fruits, e.g. tomatoes, green beans, squash, eggplant, and peppers. Fruits
apparently arose as a means not only of protecting the seeds, but as a way
to ensure their dispersal.

6.0 Conclusion

7.0 References