Pollen germination - A challenging and educational experiment

Pollen is a unique plant part. It is light weight, lacks thick walls, has a dormancy period, grows quickly under favourable conditions, and is sensitive to environmental factors. These features render it suitable for a number of sensitive and high-level physiological research studies. However, it is also suitable for use as a simple and low-cost model for educational purposes. This article summarises the recent research on pollen germination and introduces some basic studies on pollen tube growth that can be conducted in a secondary school laboratory.