Question

A sunflower is an angiosperm, and a gingko is a gymnosperm. Which best describes the life cycles of sunflowers and gingkoes? I. Both the sunflower and gingko have seeds. II. Both the sunflower and gingko have cones. III. The seeds of sunflowers are protected by a fruit; the seeds of gingkoes are not protected by a fruit. IV. The life cycle of sunflowers involves double fertilization; the life cycle of gingkoes involves single fertilization.

Answer 1

The correct statements are I, III and IV.

An angiosperm refers to a plant, which exhibits flowers and generates seeds enveloped within a carpel. The angiosperms include a large group of herbaceous plants, grasses, shrubs, and the majority of trees. While gymnosperms refer to the plants that exhibit seeds but not safeguarded by any kind of fruit or ovary. It includes the cycads, gingko, and conifers.

Both the angiosperm (sunflower) and gymnosperm (gingko) are seed-bearing plants. However, the seeds of a sunflower are safeguarded by a flower or fruit, while for the gingko, there is no mechanism like that, i.e, there is not any kind of protection. Additionally, sunflower exhibit phenomenon of double fertilization, which is not witnessed in the case of gingko.