pollencarrying

Pollencarrying is the process by which pollen grains are transported from the stamen of a flower to the stigma of a compatible flower, enabling fertilization and seed production in seed plants. The carrying agents can be biotic vectors such as insects (bees, butterflies, beetles), birds, bats, and small mammals, or abiotic vectors such as wind and, less commonly, water. Pollen grains vary in size, shape, and surface architecture; features of the exine influence adhesion to pollinators and to receiving stigmas, and the pollen coat can affect compatibility and germination.

In biotic pollination, pollinators collect pollen for food or nest-building and transfer some of it between flowers, while in abiotic pollination, pollen is carried by air currents or water to reach receptive stigmas. After deposition on a compatible stigma, pollen grains germinate, pollen tubes grow through the style, and sperm reach the ovules to fertilize them.

Pollencarrying is central to sexual reproduction in most flowering plants and many crops, influencing fruit and seed set, genetic diversity, and ecosystem resilience. Pollination biology studies factors affecting pollination success, such as floral morphology, pollinator behavior, habitat availability, and flowering timing. Palynology is the study of pollen grains and spores, including their detection in pollinator bodies or environmental samples to infer pollination pathways and plant relationships.

Pollen dispersal also has human health relevance, as airborne pollen can trigger allergic responses in sensitive individuals. Understanding pollencarrying supports agriculture, conservation, and public health.