Question
  1. Do all pollen grains remain viable for the same length of time? Support your answer with two suitable examples.
  2. How are pollen grains stored in pollen banks? State the purpose of storing pollen grains in these banks.

Answer

  1. No, not all pollen grains remain viable for the same length of time.

Two suitable examples of the same are:

  • Some cereals like rice have pollen grains that lose viability within 30 minutes of their release.
  • Some members of family Leguminoseae, have pollen grains that have viability for a few months.
  1. 'Pollen Banks' store pollen grains for a period of time in viable conditions. These can be used for different studies and crop breeding techniques. It preserves the biodiversity by preserving genetic material.

The pollen grains can be stored by two methods:

  • Short term storage of pollen grains.
  • Long term storage of pollen.

Need a full question paper?

Generate a complete, print-ready paper with questions like this in minutes — across 16+ boards, with answer keys.

Start Generating Free