Final answer:
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma of a flower, allowing for fertilization and seed formation. This process can occur within the same flower or between flowers of the same species, either naturally or through controlled techniques used in plant breeding.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pollination refers to the transfer of pollen from the male part of the plant to the female part. Specifically, the correct definition is the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma, which can be either on the same flower (self-pollination) or a different flower of the same species (cross-pollination). The anther contains the male gametes, which are the pollen grains, and the stigma is the part of the pistil that receives these pollen grains. Once the pollen reaches the stigma, it can germinate to form a pollen tube that will eventually reach the ovary and allow for fertilization of the female gametes (ova), leading to the formation of seeds.
As a historical note, Gregor Mendel, the father of modern genetics, conducted experiments on pea plants in which he controlled the process of pollination to determine how traits are inherited from one generation to the next. With the scientific and agricultural advancements since Mendel's time, artificial selection through controlled pollination techniques allows for the development of crops with desired traits, such as the modern corn which derived from its ancestor, the teosinte.