Pollen Sperm Cells (Generative Cell)

Tiny passengers

Inside a pollen grain is a small cell called the generative cell. It splits to make two sperm cells. In some plants this happens before the pollen leaves the flower. In others, it happens inside the pollen tube.

The sperm cells of flowering plants have no tails and can't swim. Instead, they ride inside the pollen tube that the tube cell grows.

Two sperm, two jobs

The pollen tube carries both sperm cells into an ovule. Each sperm cell carries half of the plant's instructions (DNA). Then each one has its own job:

• One sperm cell joins the egg cell. That grows into the baby plant inside the seed.
• The other joins the central cell. That grows into the seed's food store.

Two joinings at once is called double fertilization. Flowering plants are famous for it.

Pollen sperm cell quiz