What is an anther?

What is an anther?

The anther is the part of the stamen in a flower where pollen is produced.

Pollen is the fine powdery substance produced by flowering plants that contains the male gamete of the flower. It attracts pollinators like bees and other insects to the plant. They carry pollen between plants which starts the process of seeds developing. This is an integral part of the process of reproduction in plants.

You can see the anthers by looking at the parts which stick out from the middle of the flower and have pollen on them. The anthers are the oval structure on the end of the filament of the stamen. They can be different colours but most anthers are yellow, orange, or red. Most flowers have around five anthers, but different types of flowers have different amounts.

What is the function of an anther?

The anthers are important because they help the flower to create pollen. Without the anthers of the flower producing pollen, the flower cannot reproduce.

The filaments of the stamen hold the anthers up and away from the main body of the flower. This is so that passing pollinators, like bees, can brush against the anther. This means that pollen transfers onto the pollinator, which is covered in tiny hairs. As they travel between plants, the pollinator transfers pollen from one to the next. When the bee buzzes along to another flower, the pollen falls onto the female organs of the flower.

What are the other parts of a flower?

Now that you know about what the anther of a flower looks like and what it does, it is time to learn about the other parts of a flower.

• Petal – the petals of a plant tend to be brightly coloured so that insects are attracted to them. They look very pretty, which is why we like to have flowers in our gardens and our homes.
• Anther – produce the pollen necessary for reproduction.
• Stamen – the male part of a flower, which consists of the anther and the filament.
• Filament – the part of the stamen that holds up the anther so that pollinators can brush against it.
• Stigma – the stigma is the top of the female part of the flower which collects pollen grains that pollinators drop onto it.
• Ovary – the ovaries protect the female sex cells.
• Ovule – the female sex cells are contained in the ovules.
• Nectary – produces nectar, which is a sugary solution that attracts insects for them to feed on.
• Sepal – this protects the flower before it bursts into bloom.

You can find out more about the parts of a plant with our informative Teaching Wiki. This includes information for KS2 pupils about the characteristics of a plant, as well as its flowers, leaves, stems, and roots.

How do plants reproduce?

Plants can reproduce in two ways: sexually or asexually. Asexual reproduction only requires one plant to make more plants. Some plants that reproduce asexually are daffodils. Sexual reproduction requires male and female gametes to make a new plant.

To reproduce, male gametes in pollen need to meet the female gametes in the ovules. This process is called pollination. A pollen grain has to land on the stigma of a flower – but the flower has to be the same species. Once the pollen grain has landed on the stigma, it grows a tube down into the ovary to find an ovule. This process is called fertilisation.

After fertilisation occurs, seeds are dispersed, and a new plant grows. This is the beginning of the plant’s life cycle.

Parts of a plant – teaching resources

We hope you have learnt a bit more about the anther and its role within the plant! You can find many more resources on our website to help you to teach and learn about plants and their life cycles. We’ve chosen a few of our favourite resources to get you started.

• Pollination and Colour Worksheet. This is the perfect follow-up activity to use after reading this Wiki page. It includes a labelling activity for children to test their knowledge about the different parts of the flower. Can they explain the function of each part?
• Plant Reproduction Worksheets – Differentiated Homework. You can use these sheets as homework to reinforce KS3 learning about plant reproduction. They are differentiated with two versions to allow you to select the best choice for your pupils.
• Plant Reproduction Revision Pack. This is a structured resource for KS3 pupils to use as they revise for biology tests or exams. It includes key revision points and exam-style questions to help pupils feel confident and prepared.