Ovule
/ˈɑvjul/
Definition
Ovule is the seed-producing structure inside a flower’s ovary, or on the scales of cones in gymnosperms. It contains the female reproductive tissues, including the egg cell. After pollination and fertilization, an ovule develops into a seed, while the ovary may develop into fruit. This distinguishes it from pollen, which carries the male sex cells, and from the ovary, which encloses one or more ovules in flowering plants.
Role in Plant Biology
- Site of seed formation: After fertilization, each ovule develops into a seed, so the number of successful ovules helps determine how many seeds a flower or cone can produce.
- Link to pollination success: Whether an ovule is fertilized depends on pollen reaching the female tissues and completing fertilization, which connects flower structure and pollinator activity to seed set.
- Useful in plant identification: Features such as ovule number and arrangement inside the ovary can help botanists distinguish plant groups and describe reproductive differences among species.
- Important in breeding and propagation: In horticulture and crop breeding, healthy ovule development matters because poor formation or failed fertilization can reduce viable seed production.
Related Terms
Ovary
Ovary refers to the enlarged basal part of a flower’s pistil, or female reproductive structure, that contains one or…
Integument
Integument refers to one or two protective layers of tissue that surround a plant ovule, the structure that contains…
Micropyle
Micropyle refers to a tiny opening in the ovule, and later in the seed coat, where the integuments do not fully close…
Placenta
Placenta refers to the tissue inside a flower’s ovary where one or more ovules are attached. It is a plant structure…
Placentation
Placentation describes the arrangement of ovules inside a flower’s ovary and the way they are attached to the placenta…