Question

Pollination is best defined as
A. The transference of pollen from anthers to stigma.
B. The germination of pollen grains.
C. Visiting flowers by ants.
D. The growth of the pollen tube in the ovule.

Answer 1

Hint: Pollination is an essential step in the sexual reproduction of plants. It ensures the fusion of the male gamete with the female gamete. Various pollinators like insects or air help in uniting the male and female gametes. Pollens are male gamete and ovule is the female gamete.

Complete answer: In sexual reproduction, the fusion of male and female gametes produces a zygote that leads to the development of a new individual. In plants, sexual reproduction takes place through pollination. Pollination is the act of uniting a male gamete that is pollen grains with the female gamete that is ovule. The flower consists of anthers that are stalk-like structures having bean-shaped structures at their tips. These structures enclose pollen grains or pollen. The pollen grains are male gametes and the anther is the male organ. The stigma which is broader at the base and narrow at the top encloses the ovary or ovule of the flower inside it. The ovule is the female gamete. The stigma is the female reproductive part of the flower present in its centre. The surface of the stigma is sticky so that lightweight pollen grains can deposit over it. This process is called pollination. Various pollinators like ants, bees, and other insects and air help in bringing pollen to the stigma. Water, birds, and wind are also mediums through which pollination occurs. In flowers having both male and female sex organs self-pollination occurs. Therefore, pollination can be best described as the transference of pollen from anthers to stigma.
Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Note: Once the pollens get deposited over the stigma, they germinate to form a pollen tube through the stigma. The male gametes enclosed in pollen travels through this tube to reach the ovary to fertilize the female gamete. So, two processes happen for fertilization in plants. The first is pollination and the second is pollen tube formation. Thus, it is often called double fertilization.