2018-2019

BIOLOGY INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT

To observe the different characteristics patterns found on

the surface of different pollen grains.

Podar International School

Dnyaneshwari Nemade
Class-XI
2018-2019
 Content
 Certificate of Authenticity

 Acknowledgement

 Introduction

 Palynology

 Experiment
 -Aim
 -Requirement
 -Procedure
 -Result

 Bibliography
 Certificate of Authenticity
This is to certify that Dnyaneshwari Nemade, a
student of class XI has successfully completed the
research project in biology on the topic “To observe
the different characteristics patterns found on the
surface of different pollen grains” under the
guidance of Mrs. Rekha Mule(biology teacher)
during the year 2018-2019 in particular curriculum
of Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE).

This project is absolutely genuine and does not

indulge in plagiarism of any kind. The references
taken in making this project have been declared at
the end of this report.

Signature (Subject Teacher) Signature (Examiner)

 Acknowledgement
I have taken efforts in this project. However, it
would not have been possible without the kind
support and help of many individuals.
This project wouldn’t have been feasible without
the proper and rigorous guidance of my biology
teacher - Mrs. Rekha Mule who guided me
throughout this project. I extend my hearty thanks
to Mrs. Rekha Mule, for her encouragement and
for all the guidance.
Rigorous hard work has been put in this project to
ensure that it proves to be the best. I hope that this
project will prove to be a breeding ground for the
next generation of students and will guide them in
every possible way.
I take this opportunity to express my deep sense of
gratitude for my parents for invaluable guidance
and constant encouragement.
 Introduction
Pollen, a mass of microspores in a seed plant appearing
usually as a fine dust. Each pollen grain is a minute body, of
varying shape and structure, formed in the male structures of
seed-bearing plants and transported by various means (wind,
water, insects, etc.) to the female structures, where fertilization
occurs.
In angiosperms, pollen is produced by the anthers of
the stamens in flowers. In gymnosperms, it is formed in
the microsporophylls of the microstrobili (male pollen cones).
Pollen consists of one or more vegetative cells and a
reproductive cell.
A pollen grain itself is not the male gamete. In angiosperms and
certain gymnosperms, the vegetative cell forms the pollen
tube that grows to meet the unfertilized ovules, and the
reproductive cell is the source of the sperm.
Most pollen grains consist of three distinct parts.
The central cytoplasmic part is the source of nuclei responsible
for fertilization.
The other parts constituting the wall of the grain are an inner
layer, the intine, and an outer layer, the exine. The intine
consists, at least in part, of cellulose or hemicellulose.
The outer and most durable layer, the exine, is very resistant to
disintegration; treatment with intense heat, strong acids, or
strong bases has little effect upon it.
The internal parts of the pollen grain are easily broken down,
whereas the exine layer, and thus the general form of the
pollen grain, is easily preserved in various kinds of sediments.
 Palynology
Palynology is the "study of dust" or "particles that are
strewn". A classic palynologist analyses particulate samples
collected from the air, from water, or from deposits including
sediments of any age. The condition and identification of
those particles, organic and inorganic, give the palynologist
clues to the life, environment, and energetic conditions that
produced them.
The term is sometimes narrowly used to refer to a subset of
the discipline, which is defined as "the study of microscopic
objects of macromolecular organic composition (i.e.,
compounds of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen), not
capable of dissolution in hydrochloric or hydrofluoric acids".
It is the science that studies contemporary and fossil
palynomorphs, including pollen, spores, orbicules, dinocysts,
acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, together with
particulate organic matter (POM) and kerogen found in
sedimentary rocks and sediments. Palynology does not
include diatoms, foraminiferans or other organisms with
siliceous or calcareous exoskeletons.
Palynology is an interdisciplinary science and is a branch of
earth science (geology or geological science) and biological
science (biology), particularly plant science (botany).
Stratigraphical palynology is a branch of micropalaeontology
and paleobotany, which studies fossil palynomorphs from the
Precambrian to the Holocene.
 Experiment
 Aim:
To observe the different characteristics patterns found on
the surface of different pollen grains.

 Requirements:
Flowers of different species like Hibiscus, rose, Petunia,
marigold, Tradescantia, balsam, jasmine, lily, pomegranate,
maize, etc., slide, cover slip, needle, brush, water, and
microscope.

 Principle:
The pollen grains represent the male gametophytes. If you
touch the opened anthers of a flower you would find
deposition of yellowish powdery pollen grains on your
fingers. If these pollen grains from different species are
observed under a microscope a variety of architecture-sizes,
shapes, designs, will be observed on the pollen grains.

 Procedure:
1. Collect flowers of some common plants.
2. Now take a slide and with the help of a brush put a
drop of water in its centre.
3. Take a pinch of anthers from an older flower of any
plant and crush them in between your fingers.
 4. You will find a yellow colored powdery materials
sticks on your fingers. With the help of brush, place
a little of powdery material on water drop.
5. Carefully put a cover slip over the specimen.
Remember there should not be any air bubbles
trapped under the cover slip.
6. Observe this slide first in lower power and then in
high power.
7. Repeat the steps using pollen grains from different
types of flowers.
 Observations:
Numerous pollen grains will be observed which have
characteristic patterns on their surfaces. On the basis of
your observations, complete the following table:
S. Name of plant Shape of pollen No. of Exine structure
NO. grain apertures in
each pollen
grain
1. Magnolia Boat- shaped 1-colpate Finely granular,
perforated
2. Acanthaceae Prolate 2–3 Thicker
spheroidal colporate
shape
3. Amaranthaceae Dodecahedric or Pantoporate Microsculpture
spheroidal
monads
4. Convolvulaceae Prolate spheroid 5-6 colpate, Smooth and rough,
–dal, oblate 9-12 colpate, microrecticulate
spheroidal Zonocolpate with granulate
CONVOLVULACEAE(Glories)

AMARANTHACEAE (Achyranthes)

ACANTHACEAE (Justicia L.)

MAGNOLIA (Magnolia)
 Conclusion:
Now we can observe that different plants have different
types of pollen grains based on their :-
 Shape,
 Exine structure and,
 No. of apertures in each pollen grain.
 Bibliography
 Pollen grains from different plants-
www.alamy.com
 Pollen grains information-
www.worldwidescience.org
 Palynology-
www.slideshare.net/MauCudiamat/palynology-pollen-
morphology-and-biology
 Pollen morphology of Justicia L. (Acanthaceae)-
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00173134.2013.81
9526
 Pollen morphology of Magnolia. (Magnoliaceae)-
www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00173137209429
874

 Palynology of Morning Glories (Convolvulaceae)-

www.researchgate.net/publication/323584022_Palynolo
gy_of_family_Convolvulaceae_in_Thailand
 Pollen morphology of Achyranthes (Amaranthaceae)-

www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00173139809362
658