Pollen

Pollen is a powder of microscopic grains produced by seed plants. Each grain carries the male gametophyte, which delivers sperm cells to an ovule.

Microsporogenesis: The process by which diploid cells in a seed plant produce haploid microspores through meiosis. Meiosis produces the microspores that develop into pollen grains.
Microspore: A haploid spore that develops into the male gametophyte of a seed plant. Pollen develops from microspores produced by meiosis.
Palynology: The study of pollen, spores, and other acid-resistant microscopic organic particles. This field uses pollen grains to investigate plants and environments.
Seed: A mature plant ovule containing an embryo, stored resources, and a protective coat. Pollen carries the male gametophyte; a seed contains the developing next plant.
Pollen grain: A microscopic structure containing the male gametophyte of a seed plant. Each grain is the unit that transports the male gametophyte.
Male gametophyte: The haploid, sperm-producing generation of a plant; in seed plants it develops within pollen. It is the living reproductive generation carried by each grain.
Pollen analysis: The identification and counting of pollen grains in samples such as sediments or honey. Grain assemblages can reconstruct vegetation and track botanical origins.
Spore: A reproductive cell capable of developing into an organism without fusing with another cell. Unlike many spores, pollen carries a multicellular male gametophyte.
Pollination: The transfer of pollen from an anther to a receptive part of a flower or seed plant. This transfer places pollen where fertilization can begin.
Sperm cell: A male reproductive cell that fuses with an egg during fertilization. Pollen transports the cells that ultimately fertilize the egg.

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