Breadcrumb User tools Pollination and fertilisation Sexual reproduction is a way of making a new individual by joining two special sex cells, called gametes . In the sexual reproduction of animals and plants, the male and female gametes join to form a single fertilised cell called a zygote , which develops into a new individual with a unique collection of genetic material. In a population, this genetic variation is important because, if conditions become hard, there is a chance that some individuals will survive. Many flowering plants are also able to reproduce asexually through various structures such as stolons , rhizomes and tubers . However, all individuals produced like this are clones of their parent, with no genetic variation. This means that, if something happens that is fatal to one individual, such as a disease outbreak, it is likely to be fatal to all. Pollination Pollination is a very important part of the life cycle of a flowering plant . It is part of the sexual reproduction process of flowering plants, which results in seeds that will grow into new plants. Flowers are the structures of flowering plants that contain all the specialised parts needed for sexual reproduction. Plants have gametes, which contain half the normal number of chromosomes for that plant species . Male gametes are found inside tiny pollen grains on the anthers of flowers. Female gametes are found in the ovules of a flower. Pollination is the process that brings these male and female gametes together. Pollen