Which of the following describes the process of pollination?

• A. The transfer of seeds from the stigma to the ovary.
• B. The growth of pollen tubes within roots.
• C. The transfer of pollen from the male anther to the female stigma, enabling fertilization.
• D. The fusion of gametes inside the pollen grain.

Answer: (C)

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male part of a flower (the anther) to the female part (the stigma), which sets up the possibility of fertilization. When pollen lands on a compatible stigma, a pollen tube grows down through the style to reach the ovule, allowing the sperm to fertilize the egg inside the ovule. This makes fertilization the next step after pollination, not the movement of seeds. The other descriptions mix up where pollen travels or when fertilization occurs: pollen tubes don’t grow in roots, and fertilization doesn’t happen inside the pollen grain itself.