In recent years there has been a growing awareness of the importance of reproductive biology to crop production and there has been a tremendous increase in research on reproductive structures of higher plants. Presented here is a wide information of different aspects of micro- and macrosporogenesis, pollen-stigma interaction and recognition, pollen tube growth, cytoskeleton, in vitro and in vivo gamete fusion, and incompatibility. The most advanced techniques employed in studies on reproductive biology of higher plants are described in detail.

Microspore derived embryogenesis

Gene expression during microsporogenesis
Gene expression during pollen development
Cytological techniques to assess pollen quality
Megasporogenesis and megagametogenesis
The angiosperm stigma
Transport mechanisms of pollen - a short review
Pollen capture, adhesion and hydration
Pollen tube emission, organization and tip growth
The cytoskeleton of pollen grains and pollen tubes
Sporophytic and gametophytic self-incompatibility
Application of in vitro pollination and fertilization techniques for breeding and genetic manipulation of Lilium
Pollen tube entrance in the embryo sac and fertilization
Preferential fertilization: data and strategy for molecular analysis
Effects of gametophytic selection on the genetic structure of populations
The isolation of sperm cells, their microinjection into the egg apparatus and methods for structural analysis of the injected cells
Micromanipulation and in vitro fertilization with single pollen grains and isolated gametes of maize
In situ and in vitro aspects of embryo-ovule interactions in intra - and interspecific beet crosses
Stress effects on the male gametophyte
Mature pollen and its impact on plant and man
Pollen for monitoring environmental pollution
Sound propagation in the natural environment, animal acoustic communication and possible impact for pollination
Confocal laser scanning microscopy and its applications in research on sexual plant reproduction
Author index.