• Flowers and fruits make up the plant's reproductive system.white flowers of the fruit-tree image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
  
  Flowers and fruits are the parts of plants that are for reproduction. There are both male and female parts of the flower that make up the plant's reproductive system. The parts of the flower that make up the reproductive system include the female pistil, comprised of the stigma, style and ovary, the ovules, the petals, and the male stamens, which consist of anthers, filaments and pollen. After fertilization, the ovules become the seed, and the ovary becomes the fruit.
  
  

Male Parts

• The stamen is the male part of the plant's reproductive system. It is made up of two other parts called the anther and the filament. The anther produces the pollen. The pollen lands on the female part to act as the plant's fertilizer. The filament holds the anther up. The pollen is carried to the female part of the flower by wind, insects or animals.
  
  

Female Parts

• The pistil, the female part of the plant's reproductive system, is located in the center of the flower. It is made up of three parts: the stigma, style and ovary. The pistil, shaped like a bowling pin, is formed by carpels that are often fused together. The stigma is at the top of the pistil and is attached to the style. The stigma, which looks and feels sticky, is where the pollen lands. The pollen travels through a tube connected to the style and fertilizes the ovary. The ovary contains the egg cells, which are called ovules. Ovules turn into seeds when the pollen fertilizes them, and the surrounding ovary develops into a fruit.
  
  

Gender-Neutral Parts

• Petals are neither male nor female. They are considered a reproductive part because they attract the insects or animals to carry the pollen to the pistil. The perfume in the petals and their color are what accomplishes this attraction. Animals that petals attract to carry out fertilization include mice, birds and bats. Many types of insects are attracted by the petals. Petals that are not brightly colored are usually fertilized by the wind. The sepal, another gender-neutral part of the flower's reproductive system, is a structure that protects the flower's bud.