Study of Pollen Germination INTRODUCTION AX, Pollen grain or microspore is the first cell of male gametophyte. 2 Thedevelopment of male gametophyte is precocious, i. it begins inside the micro- sporangium or pollen sac. 3. The pollen grain is uninucleate in the beginning but at the time of liberation it becomes 2 celled—a smalll generative cell and a large tube or vegetative cell. 4. On the stigma, the pollen grain absorbs water and nutrients from the stigmatic secretion through its germ pores. h 5. ‘The tube cell gives rise to a pollen tube. The generative cell also descends into the pollen tube and divides into two male gametes. CERES) ~~ AIM: To study the pollen germination on astide, REQUIREMENTS a Fresh seasonal flowers, slide, coverslip, microscépe, sucrose, boric acid, magnesium sulphate, Potassium nitrate, beakers etc. PROCEDURE 1. Prepare a nutrient solution by dissolying 10 g sucrose, 10 g boric acid, 30 mg magnesium sulphate and 20 mg potassium nitraté in 100 ml of water. 2. Take afew drops of this solution oy(a clean slide, and dust a few pollen grains from the stamen of a mature flower on it. 3. Observe the slide in the micros¢ope after 5 minutes and then observe it regularly for about half an hour. OBSERVATION In nutrient medium, the pollen grain germinates. The tube cell enlarges and comes out of the Pollen grain through one of tHe germ pores to form a pollen tube. The tube nucleus descends to the tip f the pollen tube. The gene¥ative cell also passes into it. It soon divides into two male gametes. Each b ‘male gamete is lenticular t? Spherical in outline. ‘Scanned wih CamScanner_ Comprehensive Laboratory Manug 22 Exine Intine Germ pores \ Pollen tube Tube nucleus Male gametes Fig. 1.1. Germination of pollen grains. PRECAUTIONS dL, Flowers should be freshly plucked, 2. Use clean slide to observe the pollen grains.) ‘Scanned wih CamScanner