generativcellen

The generative cell, known in Swedish as generativcellen, is a cell within the pollen grain of seed plants that ultimately gives rise to the sperm cells used in fertilization. It is formed during male gametophyte development from a microspore and is typically smaller than the surrounding vegetative cell.

In most flowering plants (angiosperms), pollen grains can be bicellular or tricellular at maturity. In bicellular pollen, the generative cell remains intact inside the pollen grain and later divides to form two sperm cells, either before pollen tube emergence or during pollen tube growth. In tricellular pollen, the generative cell has already divided to produce two sperm cells by the time the pollen is mature. The cells are carried along with the vegetative cell as the pollen grain grows pollen tubes toward ovules.

The primary function of the generative cell is to produce sperm cells that participate in fertilization. Upon pollen germination, the sperm cells travel through the pollen tube to reach an ovule. In most angiosperms, double fertilization occurs: one sperm cell fuses with the egg to form the zygote, while the other fuses with the central cell to form the endosperm, providing nourishment for the developing embryo.

Variations exist among plant groups. In many gymnosperms, fertilization and sperm delivery follow different developmental patterns, and some species retain different timings for the generative cell’s division. Overall, the generative cell is a key component in male gametophyte biology and seed plant reproduction.