Pollination

and its types

Self pollination
Cross pollination

By Preeti Nayak. ( SME Biology)

Pollination
Definition-Pollination is the process by which pollen grains from an
anther the male reproductive organ of a flower, are transferred to a
female reproductive organ in the flower, known as the stigma.

To understand the process let's first look at the reproductive parts of a

flower. A typical flower has four main parts known as t
 calyx,
 Corolla
 Androecium
 Gynoecium.
 Structure of flower and its parts Androecium
Androecium is the male sex organ in flower .
 -It is made up of a number of stamens.
 -the slender stem like part of the stamen is
called filament and the bulged tip is known as
anther
 -The anthers are seen in the center of the
flower.
 -The pollen from the anthers of one flower is
transferred to the stigma of another flower
trough wind water or by animal or insect .

Gynoecium
• Gynoecium is the female sex organ in
flower
• it is the innermost whorl of a flower
• it has 3 parts
• A stigma at the Top where the polien
lands
• a style and an ovary

Calyx
 calyx constitutes the
outermost whorl of floral
organs
 It consists of leaf like
structures at the base of a corolla
flower that protect the flower  Corolla constitutes the
during development. second set of floral
 The leaf like structures are organ.
individually referred to as  All of the petals of a
sepals . flower are called a
Corolla.
 Petals are generally thin
colorful and attract
insects that helped the
process of pollination
 pollination
 Definition
The transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the
stigma of a flower .

 The pollen grains are immobile . They cannot

reach the stigma by themselves . They always
need an external agent for this . The external
agent can be wind, water, animal, insect, birds
gravity or growth contact.
 Types of pollination -

Two types of pollination are there

 self pollination
 cross pollination
  Significance of pollination
Pollination is a very important part of the life cycle of plants .Insects, bats, birds and wind take pollen between flowering plants, which means the plants can make seeds and reproduce, its significance is
to carry the pollen grains to the stigma for the process of fertilization.

The mode of pollination plays an important role in plant breeding .It has impact on five important aspects, i.e.

Gene action
Genetic constitution
Adaptability
Genetic purity
Transfer of genes

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Self pollination
- It is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther of a flower to the stigma of
either the same or genetically similar flower .

- It is of two types
Autogamy
Geitonogamy
Autogamy
Autogamy or self pollination refers to the fusion of two gametes that come
from one individual .

Autogamy occurs by two methods. i.e Homogamy and Cleistogamy

Homogamy- the anthers and stigmas of Flowers are brought together by growth
bending or folding of Flowers .

Cleistogamy –
It is a type of pollination of certain plants that can propagate by using non
opening self pollinating flowers . In this method pollinators are not required .
Growth of style brings the pollen grains in contact with stigma .

Geitonogamy –
- It is a type of pollination in which pollen grains of one flower are transport to
the stigma of another flower belonging to either the same plant or genetically
similar plant .
- It is functionally cross pollination involving a pollinating agent and genetically
it is similar to autogamy since the pollen grains come from the same plant.
 Advantages & Disadvantages of Self Pollination

Advantages of self pollination

• It maintains the parental characters

• Avoid wastage Of pollen grains
• The plant does not need to produce large
number of pollen grains .
• Less chances of failure of pollination .

Disadvantages of self pollination

• self pollinated Flowers have small light

weighted and fewer number of seeds .
• There are no chances of the production of
new species and varieties of plants .
• Results in the production of weaker
progeny.
• The chances of evolution is also reduced
 Cross pollination
It is the transfer of pollen grains from
the anther of one flower to the stigma of
a stigma of another flower .
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
It is performed with the help of an
external agency
The agents of pollination include biotic
agencies like birds, animals and insect
and abiotic agencies like wind and water.
Agents of cross pollination
In angiosperms pollen grains are immotile and
thus have to be carried to the stigma by
external pollinating agents.

Depending upon their nature the agents maybe:

1. Biotic agents - insect, birds and animals

2. Abiotic agent - wind and water

Biotic agents
1. Entomophily- It refers to the pollination
brought about by insects like moths, butterflies
and bees.

2. Ornithophily- It is the mode of pollination

performed by birds. only a few types of birds
are specialized for this . They usually have
small size and long beaks .

3. Zoophily – It is the mode of pollination

whereby pollen is transferred by animals.
Animals like monkeys, rabbits, lemurs, lizards
and other animals are involved in this type of
pollination.

Abiotic agents-
1. Anemophily- It is a mode of cross pollination
or transfer of pollen grains through wind .

2. Hydrophily – It is the mode of cross

pollination or transfer of pollen grains through
water.
Advantages & Disadvantages of cross pollination

Advantages of cross pollination

• cross pollination encourages the adaptability of the offspring towards the changes in the environment .
• The plants produced through cross pollination are more resistant to disease.
• Cross pollination makes the organisms better fitted in the struggle for existence.
• The series produced in larger number and more viable .

Disadvantages of cross pollination

A factor of chances always involved in cross pollination

It is less economical .

Some undesirable characters may creep in the race.

Pollination process
Contrivances for self pollination
The major contrivances or adaptation which favours self pollination are –

1- Bisexuality – flower should be bisexual or hermaphrodite.

2- Homogamy- Anthers and stigma of the bisexual Flowers of some plants mature at the same time .
They are brought close to each other by growth, bending or folding to ensure self pollination . this
condition is called homogamy. Some homogamous flowers, however, show special mechanisms for self-
pollination. Thus, in Mirabilis jalapa, when the stamens mature the filaments recoil and bring the
anthers near to the stigma so that when they burst self-pollination is achieved.
Somewhat similar adaptations are seen in Argemone mexicana. Grewia subtnaequaus, etc

3– Cleistogamy- some plants never open to ensure complete self pollination .This condition is called
cleistogamy . The cleistogamous Flowers are bisexual, small, inconspicuous ,colorless and don't secret
nectar. Cleistogamy is seen in the underground flowers of Commelina benghalensis (Fig. 391) which are
small and inconspicuous. This plant also bears normal chasmogamous blue flowers above.
Such plants bearing normal as well as cleistogamous flowers are called chasmocleistogamous. Many rice
varieties also are cleistogamous in the sense that the anthers in them shed their pollens and pollination
is complete before the flowers open. Cleistogamy or chasmocleistogamy is also seen in balsam
(Impatiens balsa- mina), pansy (Viola tricolor), Oxalis, Portulaca, etc.

Contrivances for cross
pollination
It seems that nature favors cross
pollination as opposed to self
pollination. All unisexual flowers and a
large number of bisexual Flowers are
naturally cross pollinated .
The main contrivances ensuring cross
pollination are as follows:
1. Dicliny or Unisexuality
 In unisexual Flowers stamens and carpels are found in different Flowers. unisexuality can be of two
types :
 monoecious plant- When male and female Flowers are born on the same plant e.g Maize.
 Dioecious plant- When male and female Flowers are born on different plans e.g Papaya.
2. Self-sterility:
 This is the condition when a flower cannot be fertilized by the pollen of the same flower or sometimes,
from a flower of the same strain of plants. In some orchids, flowers wither away if pollinated by its own
pollen.
 Many species of Solanum (potato, tobacco, etc.) and the tea plant are self-sterile because of genetic
reasons. Cross-pollination is obligatory in such plants.
3.Dichogamy:
In bisexual Flowers when two sexes mature at different intervals and thus avoid self pollination is
known as dichogamy.
 Dichogamy may be of two types
 a) Protandry:
 The anthers ripen first . E.g in Compositae , many Malvaceae, etc. As a result, when the anther
bursts, it pollinates stigmas of other flowers but not its own stigma which is not yet ripe.
 (b) Protogyny:
 The carpel matures first as in many members of Magnoliaceae . When the stigma is receptive, its own
pollen is not ripe so that it has to depend on foreign pollens.
4.Heterostyly:
 In plants of some species in which Flowers are dimorphic . Thus facilitate cross pollination . Some of
them posses a long style but short stamen, While others have short style and long stamen.
5. Herkogamy:
 In some flowers there may be some physical barrier between the anther and the style so that
pollination between them is rendered difficult or even impossible.
Some interactive questions on pollination

1. Why do some plants have flowers and some do not have ?

2. Are seeds the only way of flowering plants to make new plants ?
3. Explain the differences between pollination and fertilization .
4. What will happen if pollen of one flower gets deposited on another flower of different
species ?
5. Explain the process of pollination in closed flower ?
6. What are the effects of self pollination on breeding of new species ?
7. What are significance of pollination ?
8. What is the advantage of cross pollination over self pollination and what are the benefits
of cross pollination ?
9. Enlist the merits and demerits of self and cross pollination.
Thank you