Self vs Cross-Pollination
The plant world's most misunderstood distinction — and a favourite examiner trap.
The Analogy: The Postman
Imagine pollen is a letter 💌. Self-pollination is like posting a letter from your living room to your own kitchen — it never leaves the house. Cross-pollination is like posting that letter to your neighbour's house. Same neighbourhood (same species), but a completely different building (different plant).
Self-Pollination
Cambridge Definition:
The transfer of pollen from an anther to the stigma of the same flower, or a different flower on the same plant.
Cross-Pollination
Cambridge Definition:
The transfer of pollen from an anther to the stigma of a flower on a different plant of the same species.
⚠️ CRITICAL EXAMINER TRAP: Both are SEXUAL reproduction!
Self-pollination still involves fusion of male and female gametes (pollen nucleus + egg cell nucleus). It is NOT asexual reproduction. The difference is that both gametes originate from the same plant's DNA, so genetic variation is greatly reduced.
Sign In to Keep Going
You've reached the end of the free preview. Sign in — and upgrade to Plus or Pro — to keep going with Biology.
Full Access
Unlock all 194 lessons