Question

Study of pollen grains is called.
a. Micrology
b. Anthology
c. Palynology
d. Pomology

Answer 1

Hint: Pollen grains are nothing but male gametophytes of the seed plants, which in turn they form into male gametes, these male gametes are protected by a hard coat called Sporopollenin, this hard coat protects the gametophytes while moving from stamens to the pistil.

Complete answer:
- The study of pollen grain is called Palynology, and this study is highly useful in Paleoecology, Paleontology, Archeology, and also in forensics.
- Pollen grain, itself is not a male gamete, in turn, itself consist of two types of cells, which include vegetative cells and reproductive cells, in the flowering plants, vegetative cells from the pollen tube, while reproductive cells divide and form the two male gametes.

Formation of pollen grain
- In the anther of flowers, there is usually a mass of undifferentiated cells are present, when the flower matures, some cells are differentiated into sporogenous cells, and this cells which are fertile in nature undergo meiotic division and form the microspores, one diploid sporogenous cells divide to produce 4 microspores, which are haploid in nature, and these microspores take the nutrition and develop into pollen grains. and the process is called microsporogenesis.

- Pollen grains are covered by a pollen sac, which is made up of two layers, one is the tectum and the other is the foot layers, these protect the pollen grains from anything, like crushing, shrinking during desiccation.
So the answer is Palynology when looking at other options.
Microbiology - Study of microscopic objects, such as trivialities and minutia.
Anthology - Study of flower and flowering plants.
Pomology - Study about fruit and it’s cultivation.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Additional information:
General pollen grain size is 20 to 25 micrometers.
The smallest pollen grain is of Myosotis, which is 2.5 to 5 micrometers.
The corn pollen grain is the largest one which is 90 to 100 micrometers.

Note: In some temperate, and cold regions, some pollen grains can cause allergy-like asthma, which can be treated again by antihistamines, and pollen grains are nutritive in for so many insects, whereas bee collected pollen is used as a food ingredient by the humans.