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Dehydration and Rehydration During Pollen Development, Pollination, and Fertilization

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Gases in Plant and Microbial Cells

Part of the book series: Modern Methods of Plant Analysis ((MOLMETHPLANT,volume 9))

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Abstract

Sexual reproduction in plants involves some of the most dramatic developmental changes that plants ever undergo. Meiosis itself brings about enormous ultrastructural changes within the cell, the microspores so formed divide into generative and vegetative cells. These are both contained in the pollen grains that subsequently develop. The development of the pollen grain involves considerable loss of water vapor, so that by anthesis when pollen is finally shed the water content of the pollen may be as low as 9% and rarely more than 60%, depending on the species. Grass pollens normally have a higher water content at maturity than the pollen from most dicotyledonous plants. An exception is the pollen from sea grasses, which, because of the aqueous environment in their habitat, do not suffer the dehydration seen in the land plants.

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Authors
  1. J. F. Jackson
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Goldberglein 7, D-8520, Erlangen, Germany

    Hans-Ferdinand Linskens

  2. Department of Biochemistry Waite Agricultural Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia

    John F. Jackson

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Jackson, J.F. (1989). Dehydration and Rehydration During Pollen Development, Pollination, and Fertilization. In: Linskens, HF., Jackson, J.F. (eds) Gases in Plant and Microbial Cells. Modern Methods of Plant Analysis, vol 9. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83346-5_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-83346-5_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-83348-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-83346-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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