Why is pollination important for flowers and bees?


Flowering plants rely on pollination to produce seeds. The DNA of a pollen grain (the male gamete) unites with an egg (the female gamete) to produce the seed. The process of pollination brings the pollen and egg together.

What is the structure of a flower?

 

Use this interactive to identify the male and female parts of a flower, and to explore the features a flower uses to attract pollinators. Then investigate some flowers you can find in your local area. Can you identify the male and female parts? What similarities and differences do you see?

There are different ways that flowers can be pollinated. Many grasses and crops such as wheat rely on wind to transfer pollen from flower to flower. Many flowers, particularly ones that produce fruits, rely on animals to transfer their pollen from flower to flower. Native bees and European honey bees are required to pollinate our native flowers and to pollinate many of the plants that produce fruits and vegetables. Bees are worth billions of dollars to Australian agriculture.

How do bees pollinate flowers?

 

Bees visit flowers to collect pollen that is rich in protein, and nectar that is a sugary solution that gives them energy. They eat pollen and pack the rest into pollen baskets to carry to their nest or hive to feed their young. They drink nectar and carry it to their home in their stomach to regurgitate and produce honey.
 
Watch the video to follow European honey bees as they visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar. Observe how pollen is transferred from one flower to the stigma of another flower. Watch how the pollen moves down the style to fuse with the ova. This is the process of pollination.

Have you noticed that the process of pollination is important for bees to get food and for plants to produce babies (their seeds)? Use the “choose your own adventure” activity to investigate the process of pollination from the perspective of a bee or a plant. As you do this, record an interesting fact that you learn about flowers and about bees. Write down any questions that you have for further investigation.