Expert: Walter Hintz - 11/19/2006

Question
hey mr hintz, i having a few questions that i don't understand. First: what advantage does cross-pollination provide flowering plants? Second: why is meiosis needed in species that reproduce sexualy? Thank so much =)

Answer
Hi terence;
Cross pollination brings about variation on plants.  Without it we could not see color variations.  Self pollination is merely cloning.
 In body cells chromosomes are paired. Sexual reproduction requires sperms and eggs and these cells must contain unpaired chromosomes.  Meiosis results in separation of the paired chromosomes