Definition
Cross pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from 1 plant to the stigma of a flower in another plant from the same species #BiologyDefinitions
Features Favouring Cross Pollination
- Some plants, e.g. papaya, → bear either male or female flowers > cannot undergo self pollination
- In many plants with bisexual flowers → anthers and stigmas may mature at different times
- Stigmas of plants with bisexual flowers → may be situated some distance away from the anther so self pollination is unlikely.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Cross Pollination
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Offspring produced → may have inherited beneficial qualities → from both parents | 2 plants required |
| Should fertilisation occur → there is greater genetic variation compared to self pollination → increases chance of species surviving → changes in env. → because any change in env. → is less likely to destroy all the varieties in a species. | Depends on external factors → such as insects or wind for pollination |
| More viable seeds → are produced → such seeds capable of surviving longer before germination | Since pollen grains → have to be transferred from anther of 1 plant to sigma of another plant → there is lower probability → that pollination will occur → compared to self pollination |
| More energy and pollen wasted → compared to self pollination |