Adaptations for Pollination (Edexcel IGCSE Biology)

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Insect-Pollinated Flowers

  • Flowers are the reproductive organs of plants
  • The role of flowers is to enable plant gametes to come together in fertilisation
    • The male gametes of plants are found in pollen grains
    • The female gametes of plants are in ovules
  • The process by which pollen is transferred from the male part of a flower to the female part of a flower is known as pollination; this can be carried out in various ways, e.g. by insects or by wind

Insect-pollinated flower structure

Flower structure

Insect pollinated flowers are adapted to attract insects and aid insect pollination

Structure Description
Sepal Protects unopened flower
Petals Brightly coloured in insect-pollinated flowers to attract insects
Anther Produces and releases pollen
Filaments Provides support to the anther
Stigma Sticky top of the female part of the flower which collects pollen grains
Style A tube that connects the stigma and ovary
Ovary Contains the ovules
Ovule Structures inside the ovary that contain the female gametes

Structural adaptations of insect-pollinated flowers

  • Insect pollinated flowers are adapted to allow insects to collect pollen from one flower and easily transfer it to another flower
    • When an insect enters a flower in search of nectar it brushes against the anthers, which deposit sticky pollen onto the insect's body
    • When the insect visits another flower it brushes against the stigma and deposits some of the pollen from the first flower; this is pollination
Feature Adaptations of an insect pollinated flower
Petals Large and brightly coloured to attract insects
Scent and nectar Scent and nectar are produced to encourage insects to visit the flower and push past stamen to get to nectar
Anthers Held on stiff filaments within the flower so that they brush against insects
Stigma Sticky stigmas within the flowers catch pollen grains when insects brush past

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Wind-Pollinated Flowers

Wind pollinated flower structure

  • Wind-pollinated flowers do not need to attract insects, so their structure differs from that of insect-pollinated flowers

wind pollinated flower structure

Wind pollinated flowers have anthers that hang outside the flower on long filaments, and feathery stigmas that can catch pollen easily

Structural adaptations of wind-pollinated flowers

  • Wind pollinated flowers are adapted so that wind can easily catch pollen grains and carry them to the stigmas of other flowers
  • The anthers and stigmas of wind pollinated flowers hang outside the flower so that:
    • pollen can easily be blown away by the wind
    • pollen can easily be caught by the stigmas of other flowers
Feature Adaptations of a wind pollinated flower
Petals Small and dull, often green or brown in colour; producing colourful petals would be a waste of energy
Scent and nectar Scent and nectar are not produced; this would be a waste of energy
Anthers Held on long filaments outside the flower to release pollen grains easily into the wind
Stigma Feathery stigmas outside the flower catch airborne pollen grains

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Lára

Author: Lára

Expertise: Biology Lead

Lára graduated from Oxford University in Biological Sciences and has now been a science tutor working in the UK for several years. Lára has a particular interest in the area of infectious disease and epidemiology, and enjoys creating original educational materials that develop confidence and facilitate learning.