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Vegetative and generative cells are the two kinds of cells contained in the pollen grain of higher plants.
What is a Vegetative Cell?
The vegetative cell is formed by the asymmetric cell partition of the microspore nucleus created by meiosis during the initial stages of pollen growth. Before this asymmetric cell division, the microspore nucleus drifts into one side of the cell and a big vacuole is also created. After asymmetric cell division, a giant vegetative cell and a small reproductive cell are made.
Besides this, after pollination, the vegetative cell generates the pollen tube by acting as the pollen tube cell. The pollen tube is in charge of bearing sperm nuclei from the stigma to the ovule of the flower of angiosperms. However, it does not get involved in fertilization by fusing with egg cells. Consequently, the vegetative cell is deemed as a non-reproductive cell.
The morphology and the physiology of the vegetative cell are not similar to a reproductive cell. Moreover, the cytoskeleton of the vegetative cell is highly dynamic and polymerizes at extremely high rates, giving the characteristic mechanical features to the pollen tube. The pollen tube endures destruction after the pollen tube shatters to discharge sperm cells.
What is a Generative Cell?
The generative cell is the second kind of cell generated via the asymmetric cell partition of the microspore. Subsequent to the cell division, the creation of the cell wall of the generative cell is scored by the amassing of osmiophilic lipid drops into the cytoplasm of the vegetative cell coating the cell wall of the generative cell. Additionally, the vegetative cell demonstrates gatherings of amyloplasts bundled with starch in its cytoplasm followed by the cell division.
Yet, the major purpose of the generative cell is to act as the reproductive cell of the pollen grain. Consequently, following pollination, it grows two sperm cells in angiosperms. One sperm cell blends with the egg cell to form the zygote, which expands into a seed later. The second sperm cell blends with the binucleate central cell, generating a primary endosperm cell. This process is called double fertilization.
Vegetative Cell vs Generative Cell
| Parameters | Vegetative Cell | Generative Cell |
| Definition | The Vegetative cell is one of the two cells that is made by the separation of the microspore nucleus in the growth of the male gametophyte in higher plants and that functions in the development of the pollen tube | The Generative cell is the cell of the male gametophyte or pollen grain contained in the seed plants that result in the rise of the sperm cells |
| Reproductivity | The Vegetative cell is non-reproductive | The Generative cell is reproductive |
| Size | The Vegetative cell is larger in size than the generative cells | The Generative cell is smaller than the Vegetative cells |
| DNA Repair | The Vegetative cell does not have DNA repair mechanisms | The Generative cell effectively carries out DNA repair mechanisms |
| Nucleus | The Vegetative cell has a dormant nucleus | The Generative cell has an actively-dividing nucleus |
| Amount of DNA | The vegetative cell has only a small amount of DNA | The generative cell has a higher amount of DNA |
| Chromatin | The vegetative cell has diffused chromatin | The generative cell has highly-condensed chromatin |
| Histones | The vegetative cell has replication-independent, and a vegetative nucleus-specific histone variant (H3. 3) | The generative cell has replication-independent, generative, and sperm nuclei-specific histone variants (H2A, H2B, and H3) |
| Nucleolus | The nucleolus of the vegetative cell is larger than the generative cell | The nucleolus of the generative cell is smaller in size |
| Cytoskeleton | The vegetative cell has a larger dynamic cytoskeleton with high rates of proliferation | The cytoskeleton is not at all dynamic in the generative cell |
| Cytoplasm | The cytoplasm is short-lived, in the vegetative cell | The cytoplasm is longer-lived, in the generative cell |
| Organelle Distribution | The cytoplasm of the vegetative cell has more amyloplasts and osmiophilic lipid drops | The cytoplasm of the generative cell does not have amyloplasts and osmiophilic lipid drops |
| RNA in the Cytoplasm | The cytoplasm of the vegetative cell is abundant in RNA | The cytoplasm of the generative cell has no RNA |
| Amount of Proteins | The vegetative cell has two times the number of proteins as the generative cell | The generative cell has fewer amounts of proteins than the vegetative cell |
| Acidity of Proteins | The proteins present in the vegetative cell are more acidic | The proteins present in the generative cell are less acidic |
| Following Pollination | The vegetative cell generates the pollen tube | The generative cell generates two sperm cells |
| Function | The Vegetative cell delivers the sperm cells to the ovule | Sperm cells generated from the generative cell undergo fertilization by fusing with the egg cell |
Conclusion
The vegetative cell is one of the two cells contained in the pollen tube. It has the duty of producing the pollen tube following pollination. Furthermore, the pollen tube distributes the sperm cells via the tissues of the female parts of the flower to the ovule. The generative cell is the other kind of cell in the pollen. It generates two sperm cells following pollination. One of these sperm cells blends with the egg cell and the other takes part in creating the endosperm in angiosperms. Hence, the main difference between vegetative and generative cells is their function.
