Most flowering plants can achieve pollination in several different ways. Those that produce pollen and carpels on the same plant may be self-pollinated, but they may also be cross-pollinated by insects or other pollinators. The cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) shown here is able to produce seed whether it is self- or cross-pollinated. Is one type of pollination better for reproductive success than the other? Why might it be advantageous for plants to promote cross-pollination? What are the advantages of self-pollination?

Video transcript

Welcome back. Here's our next question. Which of the following characterizes cross pollinated plants. Of course that will be versus self pollinated plants. And as we recall from our content, video cross pollinated plants involved the pollen from one plant being carried by pollinators or the wind to another plant. The pollen having those male gametes combining with the female gametes from the other plan. And so you have two parents and their genes combining to create the offspring versus self pollinated plants where the male and female gametes are from the same plant, the same individual. And so the genetic material is only coming from one parent. So let's look through our answer choices. Choice A. Says they're genetically diverse. Well this is characteristic of cross pollinated plants because the reproductive cells of two different plants combined. Uh they create genetically unique offspring um compared to the self pollinated plants. Let's look through the other answer choices just too. Um Kind of understand why they're not the correct answers. Choice B. Says they are independent of any pollinators. Well that's not the correct answer. They depend on pollinators. Um Even if that pollinator is the wind to carry the pollen from one plant to another choice. C. Says there is no diversity in jeans. Well that's incorrect. That diversity comes from the fact that you have the reproductive material from two parents that can recombine uh and produce genetically unique offspring. Choice D says they have less immunity to diseases. And this would not be our answer. Um They would not there's no reason why they would have less immunity than self pollinated plants. and in fact, they might have more immunity since they have a chance to inherit that from two different parents. Um And genes can recombine in ways to give them uh more immunity to disease than they might otherwise have. So again, which of the following characterizes cross pollinated plants choice A They are genetically diverse. We'll see you in the next video.