A scientist has moved a step closer to turning sexually-reproducing plants into asexual reproducers, a finding that could have profound implications for agriculture. Farmers throughout the world spend ... Most plants can reproduce both sexually (through flowers and seed) but many important crops, such as potatoes and strawberry, are propagated vegetatively, e.g.

Understanding the Context

through tubers or shoots. A new study of ... QUESTION: How do seedless plants reproduce? ANSWER: Scientists estimate that there are approximately 400,000 species of plants on Earth.

Key Insights

It is no surprise that there are many forms of plant ... Why are most organisms sexual? The question of why most species reproduce sexually and others reproduce asexually has stymied biologists for years (particularly since asexual reproduction has many ... The black truffle is a rare and treasured delicacy and now scientists have learned the fungus even reproduces in manner highly unusual for its kind: sexually. The finding could help scientists come ...

Final Thoughts

Sex in the garden is more straightforward for the birds and the bees than it’s for the plants. Reproductive processes vary among flowering plants; for many, there is more than one option. When ... ucdavis.edu: Plants Balance Adaptability in Skin Cells with Stability in Sex Cells To draw in crowds to his lectures, Assistant Professor of Biology Vlad Douhovnikoff jokes that he sometimes call his talks, “Why Sex is Overrated.” The ecologist focuses his research on plants ...