Plants produce pollen in microscopic amounts in order for them to reproduce, with some species of plant using pollen from its own flowers to help fertilization.
In order for fertilization to take place and seeds to form other types of plant must be cross-pollinated, which is when pollen is transferred from the flower of one plant to that of another plant of the same species. This task is carried out by insects, while other plants rely on the wind for transport .
Pollen is known for causing allergic reactions, with the main types being produced by plain-looking plants, such as trees, grasses and weeds, that do not have showy flowers . These plants manufacture small, light, dry pollen granules that are custom-made for wind transport .
Most allergenic pollen comes from plants that produce it in huge quantities, for instance a million grains of pollen can be generated per day from a single ragweed plant.
The chemical form of pollen is the basic factor that determines whether it is likely to cause hay fever.
An example of this is found in pine tree pollen, which is produced in large amounts by a common tree that would make it a good candidate for causing an allergy .
However the chemical composition of pine pollen appears to make it less allergenic than other types. Due to its weight pine pollen tends to fall straight down without scattering, which results in it rarely reaches human noses.
People commonly say that they are allergic to scented or colourful flowers such as roses . In fact, only gardeners, florists, and others who have prolonged, close contact with flowers are likely to become sensitised to pollen from these plants.
Fortunately most people have minimum contact with large and heavy, waxy pollen grains of many flowering plants, which is thanks to the insects that carry the pollen such as bees and butterflies, instead of carried by the wind.
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The facts about pollen
Wed, 28 Mar 2007
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