Summary
A study on the distribution of radioactive zinc (65Zn) in flowers of Vicia faba L. and Nicotiana tabacum L. showed the highest activity, expressed as cpm/mg dry weight, in pollen Also, using a histochemical method, it was observed that a portion of the naturally occurring zinc present in pollen grains was transferred into their growing tubes during germination. Calculations in based on the specific activity in 65Zn-labelled pollen grains and in seeds from flowers pollinated with this pollen showed that about 68% of the radioisotope content of the pollen was incorporated into the seeds. The significance of these results and the possible role of zinc in fertilization is discussed.
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Polar, E. Zinc in pollen and its incorporation into seeds. Planta 123, 97–103 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00388064
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00388064