Pollination

 POLLINATION: AN ART OF NATURE

Imagine yourself if you were a plant. Well, you might wonder how you were born right? I mean every child does ask his/her/their parent the same question at one stage of their life. I know the answer is not what one expects but it sure does leave you puzzled for sure😕😕. 

Plant Reproduction is rather simple and easy to understand. Consider the seeds that come out of everyday foods to be a plants' baby and the tree from which you got it to be its parents( Yes both the parents can be in a single plant!!) 

The flower is what you call the main reproductive organ or hub. It is one of the most beautiful wonders of nature.  It is basically divided into 2 parts.                                                                                                     

The Male Reproductive Organ or Stamen: The easiest way to remember this is staMEN. It primarily consists of Anther and Filament. The anther is simply a structure that stores Pollen Grains. What are Pollen grains? Well, you might remember plucking a flower like a hibiscus. The yellow powdery dust that stuck to your hand was pollen. Pollen Grains have male gametes in them or in simpler terms, it is a framework for the male part of a plant.

The Female Reproductive Organ/Pistil/Carpel:   It consists of Stigma, Style, and Ovary. The ovary consists of several ovules. The ovules are attached to the wall of the ovary by a tissue known as the Placenta.

The female gamete or ovules are formed by a process known as Megasporogenesis. The ovule is also known as a megaspore. The megaspores undergo many mitotic divisions( mitosis is a type of cell division in which one cell gives rise to two identical daughter cells) to form an embryo sac. The embryo sac is a 7-celled-8-nucleate structure. The cells in the embryo sac are 2 Synergids,  3 Anti-podals, one Egg cell, and 2 Polar nuclei making a total of 8 cells.

Pollination: 

Pollination is the process by which pollen grains from the anther reach the stigma of a flower. It is mainly of two types.

• Autogamy
• Geitonogamy
• Xenogamy

In Autogamy, the anther and the stigma are of the same flower.

In Geitonogamy, the anther and stigma are present on the same plant but not the same flower.

In Xenogamy, the anther and stigma are present on different plants.

There are many ways in which self-pollination( Autogamy and Geitonogamy) can be promoted:

• Monocliny: It means that the flower is bisexual.
• Homogamy: It means that both the sexes mature at the same time.
• Cleistogamous flowers: These are the flowers that do not open throughout their life.
• Bud Pollination: Pollination occurs in the bud stage.

Ways in which cross-pollination can be promoted:

• Dicliny: There is the presence of unisexual flowers.
• Dichogamy: It means that the pollen release and stigma receptivity is not synchronized.
• Chasmogamous flowers: In these plants, the buds open to form flowers.
• Self Incompatibility: In this, the plant prevents self-pollen to fertilize its own flower.

Agents of Pollination: These are the agents who help in the transfer of pollen from Anther to

Stigma.

1. Pollination by Air or Anemophily: It is the process by which, pollen is transferred from the anther to the stigma of a flower with the help of wind. Examples include Grasses and plants like barley and wheat.
2. Pollination by Water or Hydrophily: It is a form of pollination in which the pollen grains are carried by water currents from the anther to the stigma of a flower. Examples include seagrasses and Vallisneria.
3. Pollination by Insects or Entomophily: it is a form of pollination in which pollen is distributed by insects. Examples include Orchids and Roses.

To know more about Plants and other natural processes make sure you read my upcoming blogs.

Also, check out www.theartofscience.info and https://biovirology.wordpress.com/