Apogamy is a form of plant reproduction that involves the development of a new individual from a vegetative structure, such as a leaf or stem, rather than from sexual reproduction. This process can occur naturally or artificially, and it is often used as a means of vegetative propagation in horticulture.
Apogamy is a type of asexual reproduction, which means that it does not involve the formation of gametes or the fusion of gametes to form a zygote. Instead, a new individual develops from a single parent through the division and differentiation of cells. This process can be triggered by various environmental factors, such as stress or injury, and it is often seen in plants that are adapted to survive in harsh conditions.
There are several types of apogamy, including phyllogeny, which involves the development of a new individual from a leaf; cladogeny, which involves the development of a new individual from a stem; and rhizogeny, which involves the development of a new individual from a root.
One of the main benefits of apogamy is that it allows plants to produce offspring quickly and efficiently, without the need for sexual reproduction. This can be especially useful for plants that are unable to reproduce sexually, such as those that are sterile or have limited access to mates.
However, there are also some drawbacks to apogamy. For example, because the offspring are genetically identical to the parent, they may not be as well-suited to their environment as sexually produced offspring, which have a greater genetic diversity. This can make them more vulnerable to disease and other environmental pressures.
Overall, apogamy is an important and fascinating aspect of plant biology that has many practical applications in horticulture and agriculture. It allows plants to reproduce and spread in ways that would not be possible through sexual reproduction alone, and it has played a crucial role in the evolution and adaptation of plants to different environments.
What does apogamy mean?
The artificial induction of apospory was first reported in Pteridium. Apospory is a form of Apogamy wherein new trees are formed without fertilisation but using the dikaryotic cells of a previously existing plant. Role of hormones: If Apogamy and apospory occur in pteridophytes, the gametophyte generation will be replaced by sporophyte, whereas in gymnosperms, seed replaces ovule during sexual reproduction. At a glance, one significant difference between these two types of reproduction processes is that, in apogamy, the embryo develops without fertilization. Apogamy is a unique process of asexual reproduction in ferns, in which the development of haploid sporophyte n occurs from a haploid gametophyte n without the fusion of gametes. This process does not involve the formation of a gamete.
Difference Between Apospory and Apogamy
During fertilisation, however, both sexual and asexual propagation occurs. Apogamy is a unique asexual procreation process in ferns in which a haploid sporophyte n develops from a ploidy gametophyte n without gamete fusion. Figure 01: Apospory Since the cells of sporophyte are diploid, the developed gametophyte is also diploid in nature. Continue reading to learn more about the differences that exist: Apogamy, as well as apospory, seem to be 2 kinds of asexual reproduction found in plants. The 2 n aposporous gametophytes and the 1 n apogamous sporophytes are usually infertile under natural conditions because of disruption of cytological events. It includes parthenogenesis in animals, in which the new individual develops from the unfertilized egg, and apogamy in certain plants, in which the generative tissue may be the sporophyte or the gametophyte. The word 'Apomixis' is derived from two Greek words- "Apo" means "without" and "mixes" means "the act of mixing".
Know The Difference Between Apogamy and Apospory
Apospory occurs without the occurrence of meiosis or spore formation. Apospory is a type of asexual reproduction in which a new plant is formed from an already mature spore. In apospory, the gametophyte develops from the 2n sporophyte directly. Some plants also carry out Apogamy and apospory naturally, without any external stimuli. In apospory, gametophyte develops directly from the vegetative cells of the sporophyte. Dryopteris, Pteris, Osmunda, Adiantum are the ferns in which Apogamy occurs naturally. In contrast, apogamy refers to the process of developing a haploid embryo without fertilization.
