Question

Study of pollen grain is called _____.
a. Ethmology
b. Palynology
c. Palaeobotany
d. Omega taxonomy

Answer 1

Hint: Pollen grains are haploid microspores produced in higher plants such as gymnosperms and angiosperms. A pollen grain is the first cell of male gametophyte. It is unicellular and haploid with an outer wall called sporoderm consisting of two layers.

Complete answer:
> Option A. Ethmology: The study of the history of the words is called ethmology.

Option B. Palynology: Pollen grains are the microscopic powdery substances that contain male reproductive cell of the plant.
Their study is called palynology which is used in various fields like paleontology, paleoecology, archaeology and forensics.
The pollen grains of different plant species vary in shape, size and other surface characteristics.
They are covered with an outer layer of sporopollenin which is biologically the most resistant organic substance. It makes pollen grain the most commonly preserved plant fossil.

> Option C. Paleobotany: It is a branch of botany that deals with the study of the vegetation of the geological past and ancient and fossil plants.
It also studies the relationship of plants with each other and with extant plants. It is divided into several disciplines that deal with a specific type of remains like leaf, fruit, seed, wood, pollen grain, etc. or a specific form of preservation i.e. compression fossils, impressions, etc.

> Option D. Omega taxonomy: It is the type of taxonomy that is based on all the information or data available for a plant.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: The study of pollen grains helps in various studies like:
- It can be used for archaeological studies and the reconstruction of past vegetation and several communities like marine and freshwater plankton.
- It can also be used in forensics to study a crime scene.
- Pollen grains also cause allergy and thus are also used for allergy studies.