Anther

In the syllabus and the exam

Anther is tested as part of the male reproductive structure of a flower, sitting at the top of the stamen and supported by a filament, and candidates must know that it is the site where pollen grains, containing the male gametes, are produced. A frequently tested detail is that pollen is produced within the anther through meiosis, since this halves the chromosome number to produce haploid pollen grains, matching the haploid nature of the female gamete they will eventually fuse with during fertilisation. Diagram-labelling questions commonly ask candidates to identify the anther correctly and to distinguish it from the filament, which is simply the stalk supporting the anther and plays no role in producing pollen itself. Exam questions may also link anther structure to pollination method: flowers pollinated by wind typically have large, exposed anthers that hang loosely outside the flower to release pollen easily into moving air, while insect-pollinated flowers often have anthers positioned inside the flower where a visiting insect will brush against them. A common error is describing the anther as producing seeds or ovules; the anther produces only pollen grains, while ovules are produced within the ovary, a separate female structure. Candidates should also be able to state that the number of anthers in a flower usually corresponds to the number of stamens, and that examining a flower's anthers under a hand lens or microscope for pollen release is a common Paper 3 observation skill tested alongside labelled diagrams. This is also why some crop breeders remove the anthers from a flower by hand before it matures, a technique called emasculation, in order to prevent self-pollination and control which pollen source is used when deliberately cross-breeding two chosen parent plants.

Example

Labelling flower structure, a candidate writes: 'The anther, found at the top of the stamen, produces pollen grains through meiosis and releases them once mature, ready to be transferred to a stigma during pollination.'

Related terms

PollinationStigmaFertilisation

Source:SRC-DSKP-EN