Tuesday, 22 June 2010

How come when bees drop pollen grains they transferred directly onto the stigma of flowers?

is it just luck?How come when bees drop pollen grains they transferred directly onto the stigma of flowers?
Every pollen grain does not end up on the stigma of a flower. And for that matter, some pollen grains end up on the stigma of a flower of the wrong species. The bees take a lot of pollen back home with them for food. But there is a LOT of pollen.





The flowers and the bees have coevolved so that their pollen-carrying and pollen accepting structures are positioned in a way that makes it more likely that successful pollination will happen. And the stigma is sticky with fluid so it traps any pollen that brushes against it.How come when bees drop pollen grains they transferred directly onto the stigma of flowers?
Bees have a bunch of sticky hairs on their lower legs and feet. When bees visit one flower, pollen from the anther sticks to the hairs. Then the bee flies to another flower. When it lands on the flower, the sturdiest part is the stigma, and that is where the bee often ends up landing.





The sticky hairs are then PERFERCTLY situated to transfer pollen onto the stigma. It's not luck. It's evolution.
Inside the flower can be a rather tight space; if the pollen is stuck to the bee's legs or body, it can simply brush off as the bee moves around on the flower.

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