PALYNOLOGY - INTRODUCTION

PALYNOLOGY: the study of Palynomorphs (pollen and spores).

• SPORES: one-celled reproductive structures of non-seed plants, responsible for dissemination of plant.
  (FUNGAL SPORES)
• POLLEN: young male gametophyte of seed plants, responsible for fertilization of the egg, which matures to form the seed.
• PALYNOMORPHS: small + pollen-like (composition, size, shape) objects encountered while counting pollen preparations; e.g., fungal spores, algae, dinoflagellates, amoeba

EMBRYOPHYTE SPORES

ALTERNATION OF GENERATIONS - ferns and friends
• meiosis
  • sporangium spores
• germination
  • mitosis
  • gametophyte HAPLOID
    • antheridium, sperm
    • archegonium, egg
• fertilization
  • sporophyte DIPLOID
    • mitosis
  • sporangium
    • meiosis

ANGIOSPERMS

FLOWER MORPHOLOGY - ANGIOSPERMS
• seed DIPLOID
  • mitosis
• flower DIPLOID
  • sepals, petals
  • anthers, filament
    • sac
      • meiosis
      • tetrads HAPLOID
        • polar axis (geometry of grain)
        • poles
        • equator
  • pistil
    • stigma
      • pollen landing
    • style
    • ovary (fruit)
      • ovule (seed)
        • meiosis
        • egg HAPLOID
  • double fertilization
    • egg + sperm
    • tube nucleus + synergids
  • seed DIPLOID
    
    
    

fertilization pollination droplet Ephedra cones

• staminate cone
• ovulate cone
  
  
  

"NPP" Non-Pollen-Palynomorphs "EXTRA" PALYNOMORPHS

SOME WEB LINKS
• Palynology Davis UofAz
• What is palynology Reinhard Univ. Nebraska
• Pollen and Spores Reinhard Univ. Nebraska
• Dinoflagellates MacRae Univ. Calgary