ovules – the equivalent of a human egg cell which once fertilised goes on to become a seed

(Pronounced ov-yools)

To remember the meaning of ovules, use the following mnemonic:

Over the back of the mules (ovules) are huge packs of seeds. 

Ovules are structures found in the ovary (the ovary mature into fruit) of a flower and contain the female reproductive cells. Each ovule consists of a nucellus (the central tissue), protective layers, and the embryo sac, which contains the egg cell. During sexual reproduction in plants, pollen grains land on the stigma and grow down through the style, eventually reaching the ovule. The male gamete from the pollen fertilises the egg inside the embryo sac, which then develops into a seed. After fertilisation, the ovule develops into a seed, with protective layers forming and hardening to create the seed coat.