pollination
pollination The transfer of pollen grains from the anther (part of the androecium) to the stigma (part of the gynoecium) of a flowering plant. This process facilitates contact between male gametes and the female ovum, leading to fertilization, development of seed, and thence a new plant. In gymnosperms, the pollen tube containing a pollen grain grows down and penetrates the neck of the archegonium, facilitating contact between the sperm cells (male gametes) and the ova. Most archegonia contain many ova, so that multiple fertilization can occur, although only 1 sperm can fertilize an egg. Unlike angiosperms, which do not possess archegonia, pollen cones and seed cones mature at different times within a season, so that there is usually a long interval between pollination and fertilization.
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pollination
