Purpose of Pollen

• The transfer of pollen from one flower to another is vital to a plant's reproduction. The pollination process transfers sperm cells to the ovary of the flower, so that the ovule in the center of the ovary can develop into seeds. The seeds produced through pollination contain plant embryos enclosed in hard, protective shells until environmental conditions are right for germination. Some seeds have a short shelf-life, meaning that if germination does not occur within a specific amount of time, the embryo will die. Other seeds can remain dormant for many years.
  
  

Anthers

• The anthers of the flower hold and produce the pollen. Anthers are the bulbous tips on the ends of the filaments that appear dusty or grainy. The anther's color varies from flower to flower, but is most often yellow or red. The purpose of the filaments under the anthers is to extend the anthers out from the center of the flower, giving the pollen a greater chance to spread.
  
  

Meiosis and Mitosis

• A plant produces pollen using both the meiosis and mitosis biological processes at the cellular level. The plant's DNA is divided in half during meiosis to create spores with one-half of the required DNA sequence necessary to produce a plant. These spores then multiply from a single cell into a multi-celled gametophyte. The gametophyte divides again through the process of mitosis to create both the male and female gametes: the egg and the sperm, or the ovule and the pollen.
  
  

Pollen Volume

• The health of the plant affects the amount of pollen that the plant's anthers can produce. Disease, drought and lack of nutrients in the soil will reduce the number of pollen grains that the plant produces, as well as reduce the number of anthers found on the flower. The amount and quality of light that the plant receives also affects the amount of pollen produced, but different plant species prefer varying amounts and wavelengths of light.
  
  

Pollen Timing

• The production and maturity of the pollen from a flower's anthers occur at different times for each plant. The climate, location and health of the plant also affects the maturity rate of pollen. Many plants are fertile during the spring, releasing their seeds in the fall. Other plants may produce pollen in the summer, while a few release pollen in winter.