Is All Pollen Made the Same? BioE80Spr2015
May 27, 2015 • 12:28 PM UTC
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vanorve
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As our group was sitting near a bush filled with flowers, the pollen in the bushes caught our eye. Rather than the typical yellow clusters of pollen we are so accustomed to seeing bees feeding on or floating around us, the pollen we observed was red. In addition, it did not appear fuzzy or powdery, but almost sharp, like a thorn. Placing the sample under the foldscope’s lens, we observed that it appeared more like a fern, consisting of a stalk, with protruding, miniscule branches. It was strange that the stalk was “headless,” devoid of the clump or small mass that seems to define pollen. This led me to wonder, What is pollen’s anatomical structure? Do pollen and the filament differ in texture, structure, and appearance from flower to flower? What is their functional relationship? What is the relevance of their distinct feel and structure? Furthermore, does the amount of pollen in each flower differ? To what extent does the amount of pollen affect the flower’s reproductive capability? If less pollen corresponds with fewer opportunities for a flower’s pollen to be spread, what are the implications for the flower’s continued procreation? Additionally, we found our stalk interwoven with another stalk. Perhaps their interweaving contributes to pollen’s ability to travel in clusters and endows it with its adhesive quality. Overall, maybe pollen’s adhesive structure could be further studied and replicated for alternative purposes. For example, perhaps pollen could be engineered to create bandages or glue for medical or industrial purposes, respectively.
Contributor: Veronica Añorve
Contributor: Veronica Añorve
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