From Seed to Seed:
Plant Science for K-8 Educators

The birds and the bees

All living organisms possess the ability to produce offspring that are similar to themselves. How, exactly, is this feat of reproduction accomplished? Sexual reproduction involves the union of sex cells, or gametes, and is critical for maintaining genetic diversity within a species because it combines the parents' genetic material, resulting in offspring with unique genetic blueprints-different from those of either parent.