Plant Reproduction & the Pollen Tube Journey — How the Females Lure the Males

The growth of pollen tubes is one of the most characteristic events in angiosperm reproduction. This article describes an activity for visualizing the journey and guidance of pollen tubes in the reproductive structures of a flowering plant. The activity uses a semi-in vivo system with rapid-cycling...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American biology teacher 2012-10, Vol.74 (8), p.575-580
Main Author: Lorbiecke, René
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Advanced Courses
Anatomy
Behavioral Objectives
Biology
Birth
Brassica
Brassica rapa
Education
Educational aspects
Explants
Fast Plants
Females
Fertilization
flower anatomy
Flowering
Flowering plants
Flowers
Flowers & plants
Gametophytes
Guidance
How To Do It
Indexing in process
Males
Methods
Molecular Biology
Ovules
Physiological aspects
Plant growth
Plant reproduction
Plants
Plants (Botany)
Pollen
pollen germination
Pollen tubes
Pollination
Process Education
Reproduction
Research Design
Science Activities
Science Education
Science Instruction
Science Process Skills
Sciences education
Scientific Concepts
Somatic cells
Student Improvement
Styles
Teachers
Teaching methods
Visual Stimuli
Water
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Description
Summary:The growth of pollen tubes is one of the most characteristic events in angiosperm reproduction. This article describes an activity for visualizing the journey and guidance of pollen tubes in the reproductive structures of a flowering plant. The activity uses a semi-in vivo system with rapid-cycling Brassica rapa, also known as Fast Plants. Isolated ovules were used to attract pollen tubes that were triggered to grow through explants of female flower parts. The activity provides insight into the in vivo situation of plant reproduction, appealing visual results, and the development of science process skills.
ISSN:0002-7685
1938-4211
DOI:10.1525/abt.2012.74.8.8