What is the Difference Between Stamen and Pistil

The main difference between stamen and pistil is that the stamen (also called androecium) is the male reproductive organ of a flower whereas the pistil (also called gynoecium) is the female reproductive organ. Furthermore, stamen is made up of an anther held by a filament while the pistil is made up of stigma, style, and an ovary. 

Stamen and pistil are the two opposite reproductive organs in the flower of angiosperms. They produce corresponding types of gametes, aid in fertilization, and the development of seeds. 

Key Areas Covered 

1. What is Stamen
     – Definition, Components, Role
2. What is Pistil
     – Definition, Components, Role
3. What are the Similarities Between Stamen and Pistil
     – Outline of Common Features
4. What is the Difference Between Stamen and Pistil
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms 

Androecium, Female Gametes, Male Gametes, Ovules, Pistil, Pollen Grains, Stamen

What is Stamen 

The stamen is the male reproductive organs of the flower. It is also known as the androecium. The two structural components of a stamen are the anther, which bears pollen sacs, and the filament, which holds the anther away from the flower. The number of stamens per flower depends on the species. In general, flowers have 5-6 stamens in a ring.

Figure 1: Flower Structure

The main function of the stamen is to produce pollen grains, which contain male gametes. This occurs inside the pollen sacs of the anther. Four pollen sacs occur inside the two lobes of the anther. Inside the pollen sacs, the microsporangia or thecae can be found. The microsporocytes undergo meiosis and then, mitosis to produce microspores, which develop into pollen grains. These pollen grains disperse during pollination and when captured by the stigma, they germinate to produce three cells: one tube cell and two male gametes. 

What is Pistil 

The pistil is the female reproductive organ of the flower, which is also known as the gynoecium. The three components of the pistil are stigma, style, and ovary. Stigma is the most distal structure, which aids in capturing the pollen grains. The surface of the stigma is sticky and feathery. The style connects the stigma to the ovary and the pollen tube runs through the style to the ovary. The ovary is the enlarged part at the base of the ovule. It contains one or more ovules in which the eggs are embedded inside the embryo sac.  

Figure 1: Stamens and Pistil of Lilium

When the two male gametes enter into the embryo sac, they undergo double fertilization by fusing with the egg and the central cell. The fertilized egg develops into the seed while the fertilized central cell, which is triploid develops into the endosperm. 

Similarities Between Stamen and Pistil 

• Stamen and pistil are the two types of reproductive organs occur in the flower of angiosperms. 
• Also, both structures have sporangia, which produce the corresponding types of gametes by undergoing meiosis. 

Difference Between Stamen and Pistil 

Definition 

Stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of a pollen-containing anther and a filament while pistil is the female reproductive organ of a flower, consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary. Thus, this explains the basic difference between stamen and pistil.

Also Known as 

The stamen is also known as the androecium while the pistil is also known as gynoecium. 

Occurrence 

Another difference between stamen and pistil is that while stamen occurs outside the pistil, pistil occurs at the centre of the flower. 

Types of Gametes 

Stamen produces pollen grains while pistil produces ovules. Furthermore, pollen grains germinate, producing male gametes while ovules possess eggs inside the embryo sac. This is the main difference between stamen and pistil.

During Pollination 

Moreover, stamens release pollen grains to the environment during pollination while stigma of the pistil captures pollen grains. 

Conclusion 

Stamen is the male reproductive organ of the flower, which produces pollen grains while pistil is the female reproductive organ, which produces ovules. The two parts of the stamen are anther and filament while the three parts of the pistil are stigma, style, and ovary. The main difference between stamen and pistil is the type of gametes they produce. 

Reference:

1. “Plant Morpholgy.” The Parts of a Flower, AMNH, Available Here

Image Courtesy: 

1. “Mature flower diagram” By Mariana Ruiz LadyofHats – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia   
2. “Lilium longiflorum stamen” By JJ Harrison ([email protected]) – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia