3.3a insect pollination & 3.3b wind pollination

• PLant sex = pollen grain (contains male nuclei) transfers from the anther of a plant to the stigma of another plant
• Insect gets attracted to a plant because of its nectar and colourful petals. Then some pollen grains get stuck on it, and as the insect goes to another plant the pollen grains transfer into that plants stigma
•There are 2 reasons why insects are attracted to plants
- Signals: SCENTS AND COLOUR PETALS
- Value: POLLEN (source of protein for insects) AND FOOD (nectaries produce fructose)



• The pollen is transfered by wind into the air from the anther to the stigma
• features of wind pollination:
- light pollen grain (wing features, which allow to move through the air efficiently)
- tall anthers so they are exposed to wind
- stigmas have large SA, and feather like surface so it can catch pollen easily
• The plant has no colours or scent to attract insects as it uses wind as its only transport for the pollen
• It would be a waste of nectar, since all the pollen is wind pollinated, so it it focuses all its energy on making pollen.