Sterile male plant

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Sterile male plant are plants which are incapable of producing pollen. This is sometimes attributed to mutations in the mitochondrial DNA which affects the Tapetum cells in anthers which are responsible for nursing developing pollen. The mutations causes the break down of the mitochondria in these specific cells and results in cell death and so pollen production is interrupted. These observations have now led to transgenic sterile male plants be to made in order to create hybrid seeds, by inserting transgenes which are specifically poisonous to Tapetum cells.