Describe the structure of a pollen grain and explain the development of the male gametophyte within it.

Vedclass pdf generator app on play store
Vedclass iOS app on app store
(N/A) Structure of Pollen Grain:
$1$. Pollen grains represent the male gametophytes. They are generally spherical,measuring about $25-50 \ \mu m$ in diameter.
$2$. They possess a prominent two-layered wall. The hard outer layer,called the exine,is made of sporopollenin,which is one of the most resistant organic materials known. It can withstand high temperatures,strong acids,and alkali. No enzyme that degrades sporopollenin is known.
$3$. The exine has prominent apertures called germ pores where sporopollenin is absent. This allows for the emergence of the pollen tube during germination.
$4$. The inner wall of the pollen grain is called the intine. It is a thin,continuous layer made up of cellulose and pectin.
Development of Male Gametophyte:
$1$. The microspore nucleus undergoes mitosis to produce two unequal cells: a larger vegetative cell and a smaller generative cell.
$2$. The vegetative cell is abundant in food reserve and has a large,irregularly shaped nucleus.
$3$. The generative cell is small and floats in the cytoplasm of the vegetative cell. It is spindle-shaped with dense cytoplasm and a nucleus.
$4$. In over $60\%$ of angiosperms,pollen grains are shed at this $2$-celled stage. In others,the generative cell divides mitotically to give rise to the two male gametes before pollen grains are shed ($3$-celled stage).

Explore More

Similar Questions

The cell that divides to form two male nuclei in angiosperms is

Identify $A$ and $B$ in the diagram given below:

In wheat and rice, how long does the pollen grain remain viable after being released?

If there are $1280$ microspores in a tetralocular anther,how many microspore mother cells will be there in its each pollen chamber?

The following is the diagram of $T.S.$ of anther. Identify the parts labelled $A$,$B$ and $C$.

Vedclass Products

For Students

Vedclass Test Series

Mock tests in real JEE/NEET style with performance analysis. 5-day free trial.

Start Free Trial
For Teachers

Exam Paper Generator

Generate Set A/B/C/D exam papers from 7.5L+ questions in 2 minutes. 3 chapters free.

Try Free
For Institutes

Online Exam Module

Live online exams with unlimited students, 360° analytics & white-label branding.

See Demo