Question

What is pollination? State its types.

Answer 1

In the given figure, A represents the pollen grain, B represents the pollen tube, C represents the ovary and D represents the female germ cell.
The transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of a flower is known as pollination.
It is of two types:
(i) Self-pollination: It is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same flower or another flower on the same plant.
(ii) Cross-pollination: It is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the flower present on two different plants.
Significance of pollination:
(i) It is a significant event, because it precedes fertilisation.
(ii) It brings the male and female gametes closer for the process of fertilisation.
(iii) Cross-pollination introduces variations in plants because of the mixing of different genes. These variations further increase the adaptability of plants towards the environment or surroundings.