| the protoplasmic tube that is extruded from a germinating pollen grain and grows toward the ovule. |

| pollen tube n. The slender tube formed by the pollen grain that penetrates an ovule and releases the male gametes. |
| pollen tube
The slender tube that is formed after pollination by division of the tube cell in a pollen grain. The pollen tube penetrates the ovule and releases the male gametes. |