MENDEL ISM 



tilizes the ovules of B, or if the pollen from B fertilizes 

 the ovules of A we get cross-fertilization. 



Gardeners sometimes effect cross-fertilization, or 

 " crosses," by placing the pollen from one flower on to 

 the stiema of another flower. 



The flower from which the pollen is derived is the male 

 parent ; that which contains the ovules (and seeds) is the 

 female parent. 



A 



Fig. 



The Two Types of Primrose. 



Male and female may be represented by the letters 



M (male) and F (female), but they are best represented 



by certain astronomical signs employed by scientists of 



all countries — 



£ stands for male ; 



£ stands for female. 



The male and female elements, the pollen grains and 

 ovules, are now called "gametes," which means marry ing- 

 cells, but it will be easier to follow me if I use the better- 

 known term "germ-cells." The germ-cells of plants, then, 

 are the pollen grains and ovules. The same term (germ- 

 cells) is also applied to animals ; the process of reproduction 

 is essentially the same in them as it is in plants. 



Reproduction or fertilization may be represented in 

 diagrammatic form thus — 



? x t 



