#pollen

• Acrogamy — A physiological and structural fertilization process in seed plants characterized by the pollen tube entering the ovule exclusively through the micropyle (the apical opening); porogamy.
• Adinamandry — A pathological state, structural anomaly, or rare biological dysfunction in higher plants, characterized by the functional incapacity, sterility, or lack of development of the male reproductive organs (stamens or anthers). This structural phenomenon prevents the production of fertile pollen, causing self-incompatibility or forcing the plant to rely exclusively on cross-pollination to ensure reproduction.
• Aerobiology — An interdisciplinary branch of biology that deals with the study of living organisms and particles of biological origin (such as bacteria, fungi, pollen, spores, cysts, and viruses) passively transported through the air, as well as with the analysis of their movement, survival, and impact on the environment and human health.
• Aeropalynology — A branch of palynology that studies spores, pollen grains, and other microparticles of plant or fungal origin suspended in Earth's atmosphere and transported by air currents. This discipline has major importance in establishing pollen calendars, monitoring air quality, and diagnosing respiratory allergies or seasonal rhinitis.
• Androecium — The male reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of the totality of its stamens. Structurally, each stamen in the androecium is composed of a thin structural filament and an anther, the organ inside which the pollen grains required for the fertilization of ovules located in the gynoecium are produced.
• Androphore — An elongation of the floral axis (receptacle) in the form of a support, column, or slender stalk that structurally supports the androecium (stamens) above the insertion level of the perianth (calyx and corolla). This structural anatomical element optimizes the spatial exposure of the anthers, facilitating a more efficient pollen dispersal.
• Androsterile — Pertaining to plants, flowers, or vegetable varieties exhibiting male sterility, structurally characterized by the inability to produce viable pollen, functional anthers, or fertile male reproductive organs, while the female organs (gynoecium) remain fully normal and capable of fertilization.
• Androstyle — A specialized anatomical structure or columnar axis resulting from the fusion or rigid transformation of stamen filaments, serving as a structural support for the flower's anthers. This rare morphological element optimizes the spatial positioning of the male reproductive apparatus within the corolla.
• Anemophilous — Pertaining to plants, flowers, or vegetable species whose pollination structurally relies on the action of the wind carrying pollen grains from anthers to the stigma of female flowers. Anemophilous organisms display precise adaptations like lack of showy petals, absent nectar, and lightweight pollen.
• Anemophilous — The feminine gender form of 'anemofil'; pertaining to a plant, flower, or vegetable species whose fertilization structurally relies on the transport of pollen grains via the wind. In phytocenology, it defines species exhibiting anatomical adaptations optimized for capturing airborne pollen.
• Anemogamous — The feminine gender form of 'anemogam'; pertaining to a plant, flower, or plant community whose pollination is structurally ensured by wind dynamics. This term describes the biological profile of species whose female flowers possess large, often feathery stigmas optimized for trapping airborne pollen.
• Anther — The upper, terminal, and thickened part of the stamen, having a sac-like structure (usually consisting of two thecae), inside of which pollen grains are formed and housed. As an essential structural organ in the reproduction of angiosperm plants, it opens at maturity through dehiscence to release the pollen necessary for the pollination and fertilization process of flowers.
• Anther — The terminal, swollen, and fertile part of a flower stamen, structurally composed of pollen sacs (usually four, grouped into two thecae) inside of which pollen grains develop. At maturity, this structural organ opens via longitudinal slits or pores (dehiscence), releasing the pollen essential for the pollination and perpetuation of spermatophyte plant species.
• Antherophilia — Biological phenomenon or evolutionary adaptation whereby certain species of pollinating insects exhibit a selective attraction or exclusive preference for flower anthers, feeding directly on pollen before its dispersal. In behavioral ecology, this specialized interaction defines a stage of close coevolution between floral morphology and the vector's mouthparts.
• Anthesis — The period or phase of flowering in a plant, characterized by the full opening of the flower bud, the expansion of the petals, and the release of pollen by the anthers. In advanced plant physiology, this stage represents the peak of reproductive maturity.
• Self-fertile — Regarding plants, fruit tree varieties, or agricultural crops: self-fertile, self-compatible; capable of producing viable fruits and seeds through self-pollination, without requiring pollen from another individual or a different variety. In fruit growing, self-fertile varieties are highly valuable as they guarantee stable yields even when pollinator activity is low.