What is the difference between germination and fertilization

Pollination gives rise to the fertilization process in flowering plants. In fertilization, egg cells and sperm cells combine to produce a zygote, which matures into seeds and grows the next generation. Female egg cells are provided in the ovary whereas male sperm cells are produced in the pollen grains. External fertilization and internal fertilization Function Helps in fertilization Helps in seed formation What is Pollination? Pollination is the process of germinating pollen on the stigma.

In this process, pollens are transferred from the male organ to the female organ of the same or different flower. The male organ of the flower reproductive system is called anther in which pollen grains with genetic materials are produced. Anthers are present on the tip of a stalk known as the stamen.

The female reproductive part of the flower is called the stigma which receives the pollen grains. Stigma is located at the tip of the female organ, pistil. This helps in sending the sperm cell from the stigma to the ovary which has the eggs or ovules. Pollination can occur within a flower self-pollination or within different flowers of the same plant or different plants cross-pollination. For example, maize plants have staminate and pistillate flowers on the same plant.

Such species of plants are called monoecious. There are two types of pollination; self-pollination and cross-pollination. Self-Pollination : In this type of pollination, the female part of the flower, stigma receives the pollen from the flower of the same plant. Self-pollination develops genetically identical offspring of the parent.

Fertilization occurs after the pollination in flowering plants. The zygote is the result of fertilization that develops into the embryo. The embryo of the seed plants is contained inside the seed. Under favorable conditions, the seed absorbs water, and the root grows through the seed coat. Fertilization occurs in all types of organisms that produce gametes while germination only occurs in fungi and plants. Fertilization is the fusion of male and female gametes in plants, animals, and other organisms.

The fusion of gametes is also called syngamy. In flowering plants, fertilization follows pollination. During pollination, pollen grains land on the stigma of a flower in the same species. A pollen consists of a tube cell and a generative cell. Tube cell produces the pollen tube. Generative cell develops two sperm cells.

The pollen tube grows down the style until it finds the ovary. Once the pollen tube penetrates the ovule using a tiny hole in the ovule called micropyle , it bursts, releasing the two sperm cells into the embryo sac. Double fertilization occurs in flowering plants angiosperms ; one sperm fertilizes the egg cell situated at the bottom of the female gametophyte , forming the diploid zygote.

Female gametophyte is also called the embryo sac. The other sperm cell is fused with the central cell. The central cell contains two haploid polar nuclei.

Hence, the resulting cells are triploid, which are divided by mitosis , forming the endosperm. Endosperm is a nutrient-rich tissue, found inside the seed. Different stages of double fertilization in flowering plants are shown in figure 1. Figure 1: Double Fertilization. The ovary of an angiosperm is developed into a fruit after the fertilization. Some plants like avocados contain a single ovule in the ovary per a flower. These plants develop a single seed per fruit. Some plants like kiwi fruit contain several ovules in the ovary of a flower.

They produce multiple seeds per fruit. What is the difference between Pollination and Fertilization. The deposition of pollen grains on the stigma of a flower is called pollination. Pollen grains are produced in the anthers of the flower, which can be spread by external pollinating agents like wind, water, insects and animals. Pollination of a flower can occur in two ways: self pollination and cross pollination. During self pollination, the stigma of a plant is pollinated by the pollen grains of a genetically identical flower.

That means pollen grains belong to either the same flower or a different flower on the same plant. Therefore, self pollination produces genetically identical offspring of the parent. The pollination within the same flower is called autogamy. Geitonogamy is the pollination between different flowers on the same plant.

Cleistogamy is the pollination of the flower before its opening. Cross pollination is the deposition of pollen grains of one flower on a stigma of another flower on a different plant in the same species. The process is called allogamy. The genetic material of two plants is combined during cross pollination, producing a genetically varied offspring to parents.

External pollinating agents like water, wind, insects and animals assist cross pollination. Flowers exhibit several characters like brightly colored petals, scents, and nectar in order to attract insects to the flower, which enhances pollination. Fertilization is the fusion of male and female gametes , forming the zygote. The fusion of gametes is called syngamy. In plants, this process is called fertilization. After pollination, when pollen grains are landed on the stigma of a flower in the same species, the fertilization begins.

Pollen contains a tube cell and a generative cell. Tube cell is involved in the formation of the pollen tube. Generative cell forms two sperm cells. The pollen tube grows down the style until it finds the ovary. This process is called the germination. Once pollen tube penetrates the ovule using a tiny hole in the ovule called micropyle, it bursts itself, releasing the two sperm cells into the embryo sac.

A process called double fertilization occurs in flowering plants angiosperms.