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Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains (male gametes) to the plant carpel, the structure that contains the ovule (female gamete). Pollination by insects, or entomophily, is a common pollination strategy. Here a wild Melissodedes bee crawls among the stamens of a rose collecting pollen on its hindlegs. The female reproductive organ of the rose (the pistil) can be seen as the globular rough-surfaced structure to the left of the bee; it is surrounded by dozens of pollen-bearing stamens. Photo credit: Debivort |
