Difference between Pollination and Fertilization
Difference between Pollination and Fertilization is that pollination is simply the transfer of pollen-grains from the male flower to female flower WHILE Fertilization is the unification of female and male cells which are reproductive in nature which gives rise to a new baby plant.
Difference between Pollination and Fertilization in tabular:
| Pollination | Fertilization | |
| 1. | This occurs specifically in plants. | This occurs in almost all organisms. |
| 2. | It happens externally. | It happens internally in plants. |
| 3. | It is a movement of pollen from male-flower to female-lower part. | It is the merging of male and female germ cells and giving rise to a new one. |
| 4. | An external factor must happen for the movement of pollen to the female flower, like honey-bee & butterfly. | Any external factor is not necessary for it to happen, it just initiates after pollination ends. |
| 5. | It happens at physical levels. | It happens at genetic levels. |
| 6. | It includes the formation of pollen tubes. | It does not include the formation of pollen tube. |
| 7. | It is categorized into two types Self & Cross-pollination. | Only one type of fertilization exists (only in case of plants). |
| 8. | It does not depend on Fertilization. | It depends on Pollination. |
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Difference between Pollination and Fertilization in detail:
What is Fertilization?
What is Fertilization, fertilization is a process in which fusion of female & male reproductive cells happens The two reproductive cells that play a role in it are sperm and egg (egg from female & sperm from male) when combined make a zygote.
Assuming fertilization in flowering plants: sperms are male gametes and eggs are ovules, when they get combined with the help of external factors then the process of fertilization starts.
If we consider fertilization in higher animals or in humans, fertilization occurs after some time of sexual intercourse between males and females. In this fertilization, only one sperm fertilizes the egg cell, and the rest is waste. when male and female gametes get fertilized they ultimately give rise to an embryo.
Self-pollination and Cross-pollination what the difference in them?
Self-pollination and Cross-pollination are types of pollination. Self-pollination is a movement of pollen from male-part to female-part (stigma) of the same flower or the other flower from the same plant WHILE Cross-pollination is a movement of pollen to different flower of other plants that may be of same/different species.
What are gametes?
What are gametes, these are reproductive-cells in actual that reside in both opposite sexes (male & female), when get combined start the process of fertilization. Gametes get manufactured by a process called gametogenesis that is sub-categorized into spermatogenesis and oogenesis.
Spermatogenesis vs Oogenesis, what they actually are?
Spermatogenesis vs Oogenesis, both are gametes manufacturing processes but in opposites sex. Spermatogenesis as the name suggests, it manufactures sperm in male WHILE Oogenesis is the process for the manufacturing of egg cells in the female and these 2 terms specify the opposite sex.
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