alleryStart learning →Which substance in the exine allows pollen to survive unfavourable conditions and rough transport?
ASuberin wax
BSporopollenin
CLignin polymer
DCutin layer
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Sporopollenin
1. Each pollen grain has two coverings, the thicker outer exine and the inner intine.
2. The exine contains sporopollenin, a complex waterproofing substance supplied by the tapetal cells.
3. Sporopollenin allows the pollen to survive under unfavourable conditions.
4. It also lets pollen be carried by wind, water or biological agents without damage.
5. Suberin is the waxy substance of cork cells and the root Casparian strip, so it belongs to a different organ.
6. Lignin hardens secondary walls in wood and sclerenchyma, and cutin is associated with the leaf surface layer.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 32 "Plant Reproduction", section 32.1 Reproductive Development and Structure_
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