In the flowers is also taboo
2006/02/20 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia
The human species avoids incest through cultural taboos. Plants use enzymes for this purpose.
From the beginning of the last century, botanists knew that the flower is able to destroy their pollen and close relatives. In the 1980s, it was shown that it was done through enzymes. So far they did not know why enzymes affect the pollen of relatives and not others.
Researchers at the University of Missouri have revealed the mystery: the enzyme is stored in a pollen compartment. However, over time the compartment is removed and the enzyme is free. It seems that when pollen is not convenient, the compartment is more easily removed thanks to a protein.
Photo: Comtech Comtech
