Biology Commons^™

Descriptive Analyses Of Pollen Surface Morphologies In The Model Systems Brassica Rapa And Arabidopsis Thaliana And Three Arabidopsis Pollen Wall Mutants By Scanning Electron Microscopy, Andrew B. Kirkpatrick

Theses and Dissertations

The mechanisms behind the construction of the pollen wall are equally elaborate and mysterious. Previous studies primarily used sectioned tissue to elucidate the events involved in proper pollen development. This study proposed and evaluated a protocol for exposing developing microspores to be examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Utilizing this protocol, comparative analyses of the superficial features present at the early, middle, and late tetrad as well as at released microspore stages of the model plants Brassica rapa and Arabidopsis thaliana were conducted. The utility of the technique was then evaluated through the examination of three Arabidopsis pollen wall mutants …