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How does a pollen tube reach an ovule after pollination?
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Plant reproductive system
A large bumblebee (Bombus species) pollinating a teasel flower head (Dipsacus species).
After a pollen grain lands on a receptive stigma, it germinates to form a pollen tube. This tube elongates and grows down through the style, supported by secretions from the style's specialized transmitting tissue that provide necessary nourishment.12
The pollen tube continues its growth through intervening tissues until it reaches the ovule. It enters the ovule through a small opening known as the micropyle. Upon reaching the interior, the tube penetrates one of the two synergids—sterile cells located adjacent to the egg cell—where it discharges the male gametes to facilitate fertilization.12