pollen tube – hollow tube that develops from pollen when deposited onto a flower's stigma

(Pronounced po-luhn tyoob)

To remember the meaning of pollen tube, use the following mnemonic:

The bee collected pollen on the tube train (pollen tube) from the Stig's ma (stigma). 

A pollen tube is a structure that grows from a pollen grain after it lands on the stigma of a flower during pollination. Once the pollen grain germinates, it produces this tube which grows down through the style towards the ovary at the base of the flower. The pollen tube provides a pathway for the male gametes (sex cells) to travel from the pollen grain to reach the ovule, where fertilisation occurs. The tube grows by digesting through the tissue of the style, and once it reaches the ovule, it releases the male nucleus to fuse with the female nucleus (egg cell) inside. This leads to the formation of seeds and fruits.