Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Species Specificity In Pollen-Pistil Interactions, Rob Swanson
Species Specificity In Pollen-Pistil Interactions, Rob Swanson
Rob Swanson
For pollination to succeed, pollen must carry sperm through a variety of different floral tissues to access the ovules within the pistil. The pistil provides everything the pollen requires for success in this endeavor including distinct guidance cues and essential nutrients that allow the pollen tube to traverse enormous distances along a complex path to the unfertilized ovule. Although the pistil is a great facilitator of pollen function, it can also be viewed as an elaborate barrier that shields ovules from access from inappropriate pollen, such as pollen from other species. Each discrete step taken by pollen tubes en route …
Pollen And Stigma Structure And Function: The Role Of Diversity In Pollination, Rob Swanson
Pollen And Stigma Structure And Function: The Role Of Diversity In Pollination, Rob Swanson
Rob Swanson
The ornate surfaces of male and female reproductive cells in flowering plants have long attracted attention for their variety and evolutionary significance. These structures, and the molecules involved in sexual interactions, remain among the most rapidly evolving and diverse characteristics known. As varied as they may be, each element takes part in performing the same functions, protecting pollen and stigma from the environment, delivering and capturing pollen, promoting pollen hydration and germination, allowing the entry of appropriate pollen tubes into the stigma, and guiding the tubes to the ovary (Figure 1 A). In this review, we (1) survey recent discoveries …