Video Transcript
After fertilization, what does the
ovary of a flower develop into?
Fertilization is a process that
involves the fusion of a male and a female gamete to form a zygote. After fertilization, this zygote
undergoes several cellular divisions to form an embryo. This diagram shows the typical
structure of a flower before fertilization has occurred.
Flowers are the reproductive organs
of flowering plants. In a typical flower, one female
gamete can usually be found within a structure called an ovule. One or more ovules can be found
within the ovary of the flower. Fertilization usually occurs within
the ovule. So this is where the developing
embryo will be found.
In this diagram, there is just one
ovule. So only one embryo will
develop. After the embryo has formed, many
physical changes occur within the flower. The ovule, which contains the
developing embryo, develops into a seed. The ovule wall changes into a hard
seed coat to protect the embryo within it. The ovary, which once contained the
ovule, often transforms into a fleshy fruit. The fruit contains the newly formed
seed and, therefore, the developing embryo. Fruit is a tasty, often sugary
incentive to animals, who can eat the fleshy fruit and then deposit any undigested
seeds within it elsewhere in their feces. This will hopefully provide the new
plant with the space and nutrients it needs to grow.
Now we can answer this question
correctly. After fertilization, the ovary of a
flower often develops into a fruit.
