Blog Post #10 Anthers and Stigmas and Styles, Oh My!

As I examined broccoli flowers from the Brassica Oleracea, I noticed that the ovary is located at the base of the stigma, surrounded by the sepal. As a whole, the female reproductive system is called carpel. For the male reproductive system, pollen is stored at the top of the anther. When the stamen releases the pollen grains on the anther, each individual pollen grain produces four haploid spore cells and the walls of the pollen grain strengthen to prevent dryness until it sticks to the stigma of another plant. The pollen is then taken down the style and into the ovary, where every ovule produces four haploid cells that cohere with the four haploid cells of the pollen grains. A zygote is then formed  which will then be deposited into the soil to spring up a new sporophyte plant! Here are some pictures below to help you better understand what these complex reproductive organs look like.

Here is a photo of the whole broccoli flower, with the reproductive parts inside.

 This photo clearly highlights the male anthers on the stamen, and the stigma which is connected to the style.

Only the carpel is shown here connecting the style above.

These are the single ovules found inside the ovary.

The pollen grains are shown here, where the male haploid cells are located.