Pollen flowing from a pine tree. Conifers are wind-pollinated.

Corn (maize) male flower (corn tassel). The stamens of the flower produce a light, fluffy pollen which is borne on the wind to the female flowers (silks) of other corn plants.

Bee drinking nectar

Bumblebee covered with pollen

Pollination is part of sexual reproduction in plants. It describes how the pollen grains get to the female parts of a plant. Pollen grains, which contain the male gametes, need to get to where the female gamete(s) are.

What happens is basically the same as sexual reproduction in animals. Each pollen grain is haploid: it has half of the DNA (genetic information) that is needed to make a new plant. During fertilization this combines with the DNA that is in the egg of the female part and a zygote is formed. In seed plants a seed is started.