Pollen Tube Growth: Results

These are the notes and drawings we took when we watched our pollen tubes grow, when liquid growth was added. The pictures attached, are our own drawings. The pictures under the post "Pollen Growth" show the pollen tubes, under a microscope.

Our table is here: 

Drawing credit from left to right: RB, PN, TD

Pictures drawn form 400x (as noted.) 

Pollen Data Table

Find our pollen data table here! 

Background information on the Pin Cushion Cactus

The Mammillaria Zeilmanniana is part of the Cactaceae family and the Plantae kingdom. They live on bright light and in hot deserts. It's core is soft with a dark green exterior and white radial spines. The violet flowers bloom and are visible most of the year.
Source 

Pollen Growth Procedure

1. Gather Materials: concave slide
                                pollen
                                pollen growth solution
                                slide cover
                                paint brush
                                compound light microscope

2. Using your paint brush, gather pollen and place it into the concave part of your concave slide.

3. Add 2-3 drops of pollen growth solution on top of your pollen sample.

4. Place a slide cover over the sample.

5. Place slide under microscope at 400x

6. Record growth at 0 minutes, then 5 minutes, then 10 minutes, and finally at 15 minutes.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 with each different pollen.

Zygo Cactus Background Info

Zygo Cactus (Christmas Cactus)

When anthesis occurs, the pollen of zygo cactus is spherical, tricellular, and about 54 to 62 micro-meters in diameter. After pollination it only takes around a half an hour for germination to occur in fully developed stigmas with the appropriate pollen. Also after pollination it takes about 40 minutes for pollen tubes to emerge from the stigma surface. After about six months after pollination, seeds reached their maturity.

Authors are Thomas H Boyle, Renate Karle, and Susan S Han 
Source

Background Information on Day Lily Pollen

Lilies are from the phylum Angiospermae, which are the phylum of flowering plants. Within this phylum, there are multiple “classes.”  Lilies are Monocotyledones, or monocots, which means they are classified by their one seed leaves.They also produce flower parts in multiples of three.

In lily flowers, the ovary is found at the base of the flower; you can’t see it under the flower petals. Attached to the ovary, is something called the style, which is the tube that leads up to the stigma. These 3 parts; ovary, style and stigma, make up the pistil. Surrounding the pistil are stamens, which are filaments that branch upward from the center, and have anthers full of pollen at the top.

Lily flower petals are created inside the bud, and are created to help in the reproduction process. The bright colors of lily flower petals attract butterflies and bees, which are pollination assistants. These insects carry pollen from the stamen to the pistils. Pollen then attaches to the “sticky” stigma, and goes through the style, and then into the ovary. Then, seeds are formed-completing the pollination and reproduction process.

Author is Josie Meyers of Demand Media
Source 

Working with SEM: Procedure

1. After preparing stub and inserting cup into slot, close the door of the SEM slowly. Make sure the green light is on before doing this! 
2. Pressing the scanning button and map image. (the scanning button looks like a maze) 
3. Label image by going into settings and hitting label.
4. Zoom in to 2000x and press autofocus multiple times, until you have a clear image. 
5. Then, press sharpen, to sharpen image as needed. 
6. Once you have a clear image, press the camera button, and take picture.
7. Zoom out, and go to different section(which includes the different samples), and continue with steps 4-6 for all 3 samples. Have approx. 3 images for each sample, for a total of 9 images. 

SEM Preparation Procedure

1. Stick carbon tape to stub.
2. Minimize samples; Mammillaria seilmanniana, zygocactus, and Hemerocallis. 
3. Stick the 3 samples to tub, use tweezers to divide tape into 3 sections, creating fiduciary lines.
4. Check if samples are stuck to the sub by using canned air; stand 1 foot away and spray air onto stub, so loose ends fly off. 
5. Use side notch of SEM and click 4 times to the right.
6. Place cup with samples into slot, and push down until green light turns on.

Pollen Growth

 

Day Lily                200x        Christmas Cactus   400x       Day Lily                400x

The Day Lily showed some growth after 10 minutes and by 15, it had doubled in size. The Christmas Cactus showed no growth.


Photo credit to AL and TDG

Team Hypothesis

We think that the succulent's pollen will be different from the lily's pollen. It will not be the orange powder that you normally see in plants, and we think the pollen will be shaped differently, since we know succulents survive in different climates. For example, they survive during winter--where as lilies don't. Also, not all succulents flower, so we also expect the pollen to look different because of this. 

Experiment Question

How do succulent's flower pollen compare to lily's pollen? 

Our Flower Samples

Mammillaria Zeilmanniana

Commonly known as the Pin Cushion Cactus

Zygocactus

commonly known as a Christmas Cactus

Hemerocallis

commonly known as a Day Lily

Photo credit to AL

Team Agreement

Member Roles:
Audrey L. will be the lab photographer!
Tivoli will be the SEM operator!
Patrick will be the recorder!
Riley will be the data collector and organizer!

General Agreement:
All team members will contribute equally, and come prepared and positive!