Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Pollination and Flower Structure02:40

Pollination and Flower Structure

78.3K
Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.  
78.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Pollinator Visitation Alters Cranberry Flower Fungal Communities in Wisconsin Cranberry Agroecosystems.

Environmental microbiology reports·2026
Same author

A public mid-density genotyping platform for cultivated cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton).

The plant genome·2025
Same author

Altitude sickness in pollinators: Skyward emigration holds consequences for a native bee.

Ecology·2025
Same author

Of buds and bits: a meta-QTL study identifies stable QTL for berry quality and yield traits in cranberry mapping populations (<i>Vaccinium macrocarpon</i> Ait.).

Frontiers in plant science·2024
Same author

Properties and Functional Analysis of Two Chorismate Mutases from Maritime Pine.

Cells·2024
Same author

Intersectional Hybrids between Darrow's Blueberry (<i>V. darrowii Camp</i>) and Lingonberry (<i>V. vitis-idaea</i> L.).

Plants (Basel, Switzerland)·2024
Same journal

Correction: Sutthanont et al. Effectiveness of Herbal Essential Oils as Single and Combined Repellents Against <i>Aedes aegypti</i>, <i>Anopheles dirus</i> and <i>Culex quinquefasciatus</i> (Diptera: Culicidae). <i>Insects</i> 2022, <i>13</i>, 658.

Insects·2026
Same journal

A Taxonomic Revision of the East Mediterranean Species of the <i>Crematogaster scutellaris</i> Complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Insects·2026
Same journal

Structural Characteristics for the Interaction of 1-Benzyl-2-Methylbenzimidazoles as Insect Growth Regulators and Juvenile Hormone Binding Protein.

Insects·2026
Same journal

Structure of Epigeic and Arboreal Ant Communities in Forest Fragments Within Agricultural Landscapes of the Brazilian Cerrado.

Insects·2026
Same journal

Insects as an Alternative Protein Source: A Sustainable Approach to Future Food Security.

Insects·2026
Same journal

Carpet Beetle Species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) in Austrian Heritage Interiors and Their European Distributions.

Insects·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies
08:11

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies

Published on: January 19, 2021

8.3K

Honey Bees Reduce Pollen Viability While Foraging.

Alex C Kurtt1, Fernando de la Torre2, Anna F Edlund3,4

  • 1Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

Insects
|February 27, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) reduce pollen viability during foraging, impacting plant reproduction. This study reveals how bees

Keywords:
pollen basketpollen germination mediapollinationviability

More Related Videos

In Vitro Rearing of Solitary Bees: A Tool for Assessing Larval Risk Factors
08:50

In Vitro Rearing of Solitary Bees: A Tool for Assessing Larval Risk Factors

Published on: July 16, 2018

8.8K
Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health
08:36

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Published on: October 9, 2017

10.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies
08:11

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies

Published on: January 19, 2021

8.3K
In Vitro Rearing of Solitary Bees: A Tool for Assessing Larval Risk Factors
08:50

In Vitro Rearing of Solitary Bees: A Tool for Assessing Larval Risk Factors

Published on: July 16, 2018

8.8K
Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health
08:36

Empirical, Metagenomic, and Computational Techniques Illuminate the Mechanisms by which Fungicides Compromise Bee Health

Published on: October 9, 2017

10.4K

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Botany
  • Entomology

Background:

  • Pollen serves dual roles: plant gametophyte and essential bee nutrition.
  • Honey bees (Apis mellifera) process pollen into 'bee bread' for larval consumption, diverting it from plant reproduction.
  • The viability of pollen collected by bees (corbicular pollen) during foraging is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the viability of pollen during honey bee foraging bouts.
  • To understand the implications of pollen viability on the bee-pollinator mutualism, specifically the food vs. fertilization tradeoff.
  • To investigate the contribution of corbicular pollen versus 'body pollen' to plant fertilization.

Main Methods:

  • Observed pollen germination rates for two plant species: Allium tuberosum and Solidago rigida.
  • Compared bee-collected pollen viability against fresh anther pollen, de-ionized water-soaked pollen, and sucrose solution-washed pollen (nectar substitute).
  • Quantified pollen germination success across different treatment groups.

Main Results:

  • Bee-collected pollen showed significantly reduced germination for both A. tuberosum and S. rigida compared to controls.
  • Pollen viability was substantially lower in bee-collected samples than in pollen treated with sucrose solution.
  • Pollen viability was significantly reduced during honey bee foraging activities.

Conclusions:

  • Honey bees significantly reduce pollen viability during the foraging process.
  • This reduction in viability explains the limited contribution of corbicular pollen to plant fertilization.
  • The findings underscore the ecological importance of non-corbicular 'body pollen' in bee-mediated plant reproduction.