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Pollen is a gametophyte, something that could be considered an entire organism, which then produces the male gamete. Individual pollen grains are small enough to require magnification to see detail. Pollen grains come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and surface markings characteristic of the species. The smallest pollen grain, that of the forget-me-not (Myosotis spp.), is 2.5-5 μm (0.005 mm) in diameter, while corn pollen grains are large, about 90-100 μm.

The hard coat of a pollen grain is made of sporopollenin, which protects the gametophytes during their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants. Except in some submerged aquatic plants, the mature pollen grain has a double wall. The inner wall is a thin layer of unaltered cellulose called the intine, and the tough outer wall, called the exine, is composed largely of sporopollenin. The exine often bears spines or warts or is variously sculptured, and these markings often help identify the genus, species, or even cultivar or individual.

Sporopollenin is a biological polymer that forms a major part of the tough outer walls of plant spores and pollen grains. Analyses show a complex biopolymer containing mainly long-chain fatty acids, phenylpropanoids, phenolics and traces of carotenoids in a random co-polymer. Good evidence points to a composition that varies from one plant to another, which suggests a class of related compounds, not a single fixed structure. Its phenolic components absorb both UVA and UVB, protecting internal cell components including DNA against ultraviolet damage.

The odors of pollen originate from pollenkitt, a sticky, oily coating of lipids and pigments that loosely covers the surface of the grains of many plants. Three major classes of compounds were reported in pollen floral scents: fatty-acid derivatives, isoprenoids, and benzene derivatives. The headspace volatiles of bee pollen are mainly lower aliphatic compounds, monoterpenes and benzene derivatives.

The transfer of pollen grains to the female reproductive structure is called pollination. Anemophilous plants typically produce great quantities of very lightweight pollen grains. The study of pollen is called palynology and is highly useful in paleoecology, paleontology, archaeology, and forensics. Pollen can be used for biostratigraphy and to gain information about the abundance and variety of plants alive, which can yield important information about paleoclimates.

Bee pollen is a ball or pellet of field-gathered flower pollen packed by worker honeybees and used as the primary food source for the hive. The exact composition of bee pollen depends on the plants from which the bees gather it.

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