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Leaving Cert Biology: Plant reproduction

How often Plant reproduction comes up on the Biology papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 10 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

OL Asked on 9 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Biology course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

Plant reproduction, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on Plant reproduction.

(a)Part of the flower that makes pollen?
  1. Stigma
  2. Anther
  3. Ovary
(b)After fertilisation the ovule becomes the?
  1. Flower
  2. Fruit
  3. Seed
(c)After fertilisation the ovary becomes the?
  1. Fruit
  2. Embryo
  3. Seed
Show the answers

(a) Anther

(b) Seed

(c) Fruit

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Plant reproduction.

Higher Level

Asked on 10 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q14
2025Q11
2024Q6, Q10, Q11
2023Q6, Q14
2022Q16, Q17
2021Q15
2019Q15
2018Q14
2017Q6, Q9, Q11
2016Q5, Q9

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Plant reproduction questions

Plant reproduction, 2 marks

Pollen landing on a stigma of the same plant?

  1. Cross-pollination
  2. Fertilisation
  3. Self-pollination
Show the answer

Self-pollination

It gives less variation than cross-pollination, where pollen comes from a different plant of the same species.

Plant reproduction, 2 marks

Food store in a maize (cereal) grain?

  1. Radicle
  2. Endosperm
  3. Testa
Show the answer

Endosperm

In cereals the endosperm stores starch; in beans the cotyledons store the food. The testa is the seed coat.

Plant reproduction, 2 marks

Feature of a wind-pollinated flower?

  1. Feathery stigmas hanging outside the flower
  2. Large, brightly coloured and scented petals
  3. Nectaries that produce sugary nectar
Show the answer

Feathery stigmas hanging outside the flower

Wind flowers are small and dull, with exposed anthers and large stigmas and huge amounts of light pollen. Insect flowers attract insects instead.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 9 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2026. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q17
2025Q10, Q14
2024Q16, Q17
2023Q16
2022Q10, Q15, Q16
2021Q10, Q16
2019Q14
2018Q9, Q15
2017Not asked
2016Q9, Q15

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Plant reproduction questions

Plant reproduction, 2 marks

What is the male part of a flower called?

  1. The carpel
  2. The sepal
  3. The stamen
Show the answer

The stamen

The stamen is the anther plus the filament. The carpel (stigma, style, ovary) is the female part.

Plant reproduction, 2 marks

Which part of the stamen makes pollen?

  1. The stigma
  2. The anther
  3. The filament
Show the answer

The anther

The filament is only the stalk that holds the anther up. The anther splits open to release the pollen grains.

Plant reproduction, 2 marks

Which part of the carpel catches the pollen?

  1. The stigma
  2. The style
  3. The ovary
Show the answer

The stigma

The stigma is sticky or feathery so pollen sticks to it. The pollen tube then grows down the style to the ovary.

Other Biology topics

All of Leaving Cert Biology