| Abstract: | Fertilization in flowering plants appears simple when compared to that in higher animals. In reality all pre-fertilization events involved in screening and selection of the partners, so familiar in animals, take place in a subtle way in flowering plants also. As plants lack mobility, they cannot perform, on their own, the most important and primary requirement of bringing the male (pollen grain) and the female (pistil) partners together. This process, termed pollination, is effectively outsourced largely to animal agents. Both plants and animals have evolved fascinating adaptations to do this, which is vital not only for their sustenance but also for crop productivity. |
