Biology · Virtual lab
Pollen Tube Growth on Stigma
Dissect the stigma from a petunia flower, soften and stain it with cotton blue, mount it, and watch pollen tubes growing under the microscope.
Background
When a pollen grain lands on a compatible stigma, it germinates and grows a pollen tube that extends down through the style to deliver sperm cells to the ovule. This process, pollen germination and tube growth, is essential for sexual reproduction in flowering plants.
In the laboratory, pollen tube growth can be observed by dissecting the stigma after pollination, softening the tissue in NaOH, staining with cotton blue or aniline blue, and examining the preparation under a microscope. The stained tubes fluoresce or appear as coloured threads within the stigmatic tissue.
This virtual lab walks you through the complete procedure: dissecting the stigma from a petunia flower, preparing the slide, staining, and observing pollen tubes under a virtual microscope.
What you will learn
- Dissect and prepare a stigma for microscopic observation
- Soften tissue and apply cotton blue stain
- Mount the preparation on a glass slide
- Observe and identify pollen tubes under the microscope
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