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What is pollination?

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Quick answer

Pollination is how flowering plants reproduce: pollen is carried from one flower to another, fertilizing it so it can make seeds and fruit. Bees, other animals, wind, and water do the carrying — making pollination vital for food and ecosystems.

Key things to understand

  1. Pollen must move from a flower's male part to a female part.
  2. Animals like bees, birds, and bats carry it between flowers.
  3. Wind and water pollinate many plants too.
  4. Fertilized flowers produce seeds and fruit.
  5. Much of the food we eat depends on animal pollinators.

People also ask

Why is pollination important?
It lets plants make seeds and fruit, sustaining ecosystems and producing a large share of the crops humans eat.
How do bees pollinate flowers?
As bees gather nectar, pollen sticks to their bodies and rubs off on the next flower, fertilizing it.
What happens if pollinators disappear?
Many plants would struggle to reproduce, threatening food supplies and ecosystems — a key reason declining bee populations worry scientists.

Part of the guide: Nature & Earth: Living Things and Rocks →