Siitepölyputkella

Siitepölyputkella, a Finnish term, directly translates to "with pollen tube." It refers to the biological structure that grows from a pollen grain after it lands on the stigma of a flower. This tube is crucial for plant reproduction, as it carries the male gametes from the pollen grain to the ovule within the ovary, enabling fertilization.

The process begins when a pollen grain, the male spore of a flowering plant, makes contact with the receptive surface of the stigma. If the pollen is compatible, it germinates and begins to grow a thin, tube-like structure called a pollen tube. This tube penetrates the stigma and then grows down through the style, the stalk connecting the stigma to the ovary.

Inside the pollen tube, the generative nucleus divides to form two sperm nuclei. These sperm nuclei travel down the pollen tube towards the ovule. Upon reaching the ovule, one sperm nucleus fuses with the egg cell to form the zygote, which will develop into the embryo of a new plant. The other sperm nucleus typically fuses with the central cell, which develops into the endosperm, a nutritive tissue for the developing embryo. The term "siitepölyputkella" therefore signifies the action or state of utilizing this vital reproductive mechanism.