INTRODUCTION OF PALYNOLOGY

Palynology is a branch of science concerned with the study of

spore and pollen study whether living or fossil. The term
palynology was first of all introduced by Hyde & Williams in 1944.
The term palynology is derived from the Greek word “Palyenin”
means to scatter or to sprinkle as many pollen grains or spore are
easily dispersed or carried away. Although this study has been
very old, gone through prehistoric times. With the invention of
compound microscope, the spore and pollen have been identified
as morphological entity. Later on with the invention of scanning
electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope
(TEM) have given a new dimension to the field of palynology.
Apart from this all the organisms or part of organisms, variety of
microorganisms or particularly fossil flora that fall within the
general spore - pollen size range have also come under the study
of palynology.

Spore - pollen size range

A large number of these are algal elements---example
Coccolithophorids -- one celled microscopic marine alga
Dinoflagellates - one celled microscopic marine alga, usually
solitary flagellated organism resembling both
plant -- photosynthesis and animal – motility.
Diatoms & Desmids -- single celled green alga.
Occurrence : Regarding its occurrence, the pollen grains are
omnipresent in the air, over the poles where there are no
vegetations. They are more widely distributed in time and space
than any other object in the plant kingdom.

Definition of pollen and spore:

The term pollen was introduced by Swedish botanist
Linnaeus in 1760 and it is derived from the Latin word “Pollinis”
whose meaning is fine flour due to its granular nature. Pollen is
haploid male reproductive body produced as a result of meiosis in
pollen mother cells containing male gametophyte of angiosperm
& Gymnosperm. While the spore is a independent, resting &
dispersal phase of independent gametophytic generation. It is
loosely applied to the various reproductive body in cryptogams
formed by sexual and asexual methods. Spore is a cell which
becomes free and direct development into new life.
Among Algae the asexually produced reproductive
bodies are akinetes, endospores, tetraspores, ascospores,
zoospores, heterosis etc. Among Fungi there are uredospores,
teleutospores, ascospores, basidiospores, conidiospores,
chiamydospores etc.Then comes the sexually produced spores of
Bryophytes, Pteridophytes & Gymnosperms. The spore is
immediate product of meiosis of SMC, germinate and give rise
tohaploid gametophytic generations which produces male &
female sex organs. In pteridophytes they are isospores,
microspores and megaspores.
Isospores --- Homosporous plant producing only one type spores,
germinate to form prothallus with antheridia & archegonia on the
same prothallus.
Microspore --- Smaller spores produced by heterosporous plants
which produces male gametophyte (haploid ) developing male
sex organ antheridia.
Megaspore --- Larger spores produced by heterosporous plants
which produces female gametophyte (haploid) developing female
sex organ archegonia.
MIOSPORES
In palaeopalynology, the term miospore is arbitrarly defined for
fossil spores and pollen grains <200 µm in diameter regardless of
their biological function. Thus miospores are used in orderto
categorize the spores of relatively smaller size and to differentiate
them from macrospores or larger spores including homosporous
microspores, small megaspores, prepollen etc.
PALYNOMORPH
Microscopic resistant walled organic bodies found in palynological
maceration is called as palynomorph.
PREPOLLEN
The earliest pollen grains were not at all morphologically different
from the spores. Chaloner (1970) defined prepollen as any
microspore belonging to seed plant group, i.e., angiosperm that
germinate from the proximal side of the pollen. Thus prepollen is
the functional pollen grains having trilete mark on the proximal
side like spores and also germinate proximally. In contrast to
modern pollen which have aperture on the distal side that’s why
have distal germination. These prepollen are important
intermediate evolutionary stage. This trasitional stage between
the spore and pollen is present in fossil spores of primitive
Palaeozoic gymnosperm.
Example: Potoniea, Crossotheca and Lyginopteris have prepollen
of trilete type, Dolerotheca, Feraxotheca and Schopfipollenites
have prepollen of monolete type. During evolution of prepollen,
there was a schift in the area of germination from proximal trilete
aperture or monelete aperture to a more precise distal position in
the development of furrow or colpus as seen in the Cordaitales,
Bennettitales and Pentoxylales.
Prepollen are similar to pollen in having capacity to penetrate
ovule but differ from the pollen in the fact that they do not
germinate by means of pollen tube. The reduced microprothallus
remains within the spore wall and dissolved away as a liquid in
which male sperm or antherozoid swim. These antherozoids
released either by rupture alon the trilete slit or by dissolution of
the spore wall as in case of microspores of pteridophytes.
lyginopteris prepollen Dolerotheca monolete prepollen

Subdivisions of palynology
Palynology is considered as interdisciplinary science, broadly
subdivided into:-
I. Fundamental or basic palynology -- deals with the spore and
pollen morphology. It also deals with dispersal of pollen and
spores by means of air and water and its content in sediments and
peats.
II. Applied palynology -- deals with the applied aspects of
palynology.
There are various branches: ---
Paleopalynology -- concerned with the study of fossil spores and
pollen. This branch is used to reconstruct past vegetation and
paieoclimatic conditions.
Geopalynolgy -- pollen analytical investigation of quaternary
deposits.
Palynotaxonomy-- Morphology of spores and pollen have the
specific structure including the structure and ornamentation in
case of spores and the number and position of aperture and
ornamentation in case of pollen. The constant spore and pollen
characters to the particular species is extremely helpful in the
taxonomic identification of genus even at the species level.
Aeropalynology-- Concerned with the study of spores and pollen
present in the air. The spore and pollen present in the air show
variation from:
i.one place to another place -- place to place variations
ii. one season to another season -- season to season
variations.
Melittopalynology or Melissopalynolgy -- study of pollen grains
present in honey type A honey & type B ---- collected from two
different places -----variations in plants flora may be observed
after morphological study of spores and pollen.
Iatropalynology --Concerned with the study of pollen grains and
spores, which causes allergy like eczema, asthama, allergic lung
disease, bronchitis, hay fever etc in susceptible humans.
Pharmacopalynology -- Study of pollen and spores present in
drugs and tablets.
Forensic palynology -- helpful in criminology. It is used as an aid in
crime detection. Forensic palynology is an important tool for
obtaining trace evidence from vicitims, suspects, items related
with a crime scene, or for determining the location of a sample.
Palynology involves the identification of pollen, spores and fungal
spores. It is important for its ability to provide information about
pollen and spores trapped in cloth or other items which may be
helpful in resolving crimimnal cases.
Copropalynology -- Concerned with the study of pollen grains and
spores present in external and waste products.
Biogenic palynology or pollen biology -- includes pollen stigma
interaction, pollen viability/ germination, pollen storage,
production of haploid plants and also in the plant breeding
programs which may be utilized in hybridization.
Biostratigraphy & Geochronology -- To correlate strata and to
determine the relative age of a given bed, horizon, formation or
stratigraphical sequences.
 Pollen preparations
How the pollen and spores are prepared for their morphological
studies. There are two methods :
1. Wodehouse method :
This method is given by Wodehouse (1935). The pollen grains
and spores are first treated with absolute alcohol, then
stained in methyl green or safranin and mounted in gylcerine
jelly. By this method , oily content of the exine is removed but
the size of pollen grains and spores remains same.
2.Erdtman ‘s acetolysis method:
This method is given by Erdtman (1952). By this method
protoplasmic contents are removed. Pollen grains and spores
become very clear and the morphology can be studied very
easily.
Acetolysis is a method in which pollen grains and spores
are treated with acetolysis mixture consisting of 9 part
acetytic anhydride and 1 part conc. sulphuric acid. There are
following steps in this method:
1. Dry specimens are kept in 70% alcohol for one week.
2. For the study of pollen grains anthers and for the study of
spores sporophyll have been.
3. The materials have been transferred into centrifuge tubes
and pour glacial acetic acids. Materials have been crushed
with glass rod just to release pollen grains from the anther
and spores from sporangia.
4. After that centrifuge for 5 minutes, then decant the acid
and acetolysis mixture 9: acetic anhydride & 1: conc.
sulpuric acid, crush again with glass rod. Do carefully as
reaction is exothermic.
5. After this, centrifuge tube on a water bath (80 c)
temperature, crush the material with glass rod and
centrifuge it.
6. Decant the the mixture and wash the residue first with
70% alcohol, the 2 or 3 times with water just to remove acid.
7. The final part is divided into two parts:
Part 1 : directly mounted in safranin gylcerine jelly.
Part 2 : Some spores are very dark for them bleaching is
necessary , saturated the residue of pollen grains and spores
with Kclo3 or Naclo3 and 1 or 2 drops of conc. Hcl. This will
bleach the pollen grains and spores, centrifuge and decant
the mixture, wash the residue with 2 or 3 times with water,
finally mounted in safranin gylcerine jelly.
The important point is that every steps is followed by
centrifugation.
 To observe the colour of spores or pollen grains, plane
gylcerine jelly( without safranin) has been used.
Preparation of glycerine jelly
Distal water + Zelatin ----- zelatin dissovle in distal water,
kept in oven, add gylcerine and a pinch of safranin powder.