Question

What is the role of pollen grains in plant reproduction?

Answer 1

Pollen grains: Pollen grains carry male reproductive cells (gametes) in a plant and are haploid microgametophytes.

Role of pollen grains:

1. In plants, pollen is used to transfer haploid male genetic content from anthers of a flower to the stigma of others in the process of cross-pollination.
2. Their main function is in the transferring of the male gametes to their female counterparts (ovules – female reproductive cells) in the embryo sac. It thereby allows sexual reproduction to occur in the plant.
3. These pollen grains are microscopic structures that carry the male gametes or their progenitor cells in the higher plants.
4. Each of these grains comprises all the genetic information necessary for the complete haploid plant entity and the fertilization with the female counterpart for the formation of a diploid zygote.
5. The pollen grains and their diversity have a huge importance in the taxonomic classification of the higher plants and their phylogeny.