Fantastic voyage - further research

Insect pollination:

Flower characteristics:

• Pollen is bigger, sticky or spikey to stick to insect bodies
• Stigma is sticky so that when insects brush past it, the pollen from them sticks to it
• The plants bear sticky, sweet nectar to attract insects
• Stamens are inside the flower so that insects will go into the flower, brush past the stamens and pick up the pollen
• The flower's petals are brightly coloured and scented to attract insects

Fertilisation:

1. Pollen is transferred onto the stigma by insects or the wind
2. A tube known as 'The pollen tube' begins to develop  and grows through the style
3. The pollen tube grows in the ovary, stopping at the ovule
4. The nucleus (containing DNA/ genetic material) from the pollen travels down the pollen tube
5. Pollen nucleus fuses with the nucleus of the ovule (fertilisation)
6. The fertilised ovule, now called he zygote develops into a seed, then into a fruit

At first, after looking at different flowers to use in the animation I thought that using a sunflower would be quite difficult because of the size of the flower's stigmas and ovaries. I researched into sunflowers and their structures a lot to see whether it would be possible to look at them in detail in the animation and I came across these diagrams.

Sunflower diagram:

After looking at these diagrams I understand sunflower's structures more and I find it easier to understand myself how sunflowers are pollinated.