pollen tube

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Word: Pollen Tube

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: A pollen tube is a thin, tube-like structure that grows from a pollen grain after it lands on the stigma of a flower. Its main job is to carry male reproductive cells (gametes) to the ovule, which is part of the flower where seeds develop.

Usage Instructions:

• Context: The term is mostly used in botany, which is the study of plants.
• When to Use: You can use "pollen tube" when discussing plant reproduction, flowers, or botany.

Example:

• "After the bee pollinates the flower, the pollen grain forms a pollen tube to reach the ovule."

Advanced Usage:

In scientific discussions, you might hear phrases like: - "The successful fertilization of the ovule depends on the growth of the pollen tube." - "Research indicates that environmental factors can affect the viability of pollen tubes."

Word Variants:

• Pollen: The fine powder produced by plants that contains the male gametes.
• Pollenation: The process of transferring pollen from the male part of a flower to the female part.

Different Meanings:

• "Pollen" itself can refer to the fine powdery substance produced by flowering plants, while "tube" can refer to any long, cylindrical structure.

Synonyms:

• There are no direct synonyms for "pollen tube," but you can refer to it as "a structure for fertilization" in layman's terms.

Related Terms:

• Stigma: The part of the flower that receives pollen.
• Ovule: The part of the flower that becomes the seed after fertilization.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "pollen tube," but in a broader sense, you might encounter phrases about growth or connection, such as "planting the seeds" of an idea, which metaphorically relates to beginnings and development, similar to how pollen tubes help in plant reproduction.

Summary:

The pollen tube is an essential part of how flowers reproduce.

Academic

Noun

1. (botany) a slender tubular outgrowth from a pollen grain when deposited on the stigma for a flower; it penetrates the style and conveys the male gametes to the ovule