Geitonogamy vs Autogamy — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2023Transfer of pollen grains from anther to stigma of another flower of the same plant is known as: (NEET 2023)
Transfer of pollen grains from anther to stigma of another flower of the same plant is known as: (NEET 2023)
A dioecious flowering plant prevents both (NEET 2017)
Answer & NCERT explanation
Correct answer: B — Geitonogamy
Geitonogamy is the transfer of pollen from anther to stigma of different flowers on the same plant. This is genetically equivalent to self-pollination. Autogamy is within the same flower, xenogamy is between different plants, and cleistogamy is self-pollination in unopened flowers.
Read more NCERT concept on the PYQ
Geitonogamy – Transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of another flower of the same plant. Although geitonogamy is functionally cross-pollination involving a pollinating agent, genetically it is similar to autogamy since the pollen grains come from the same plant.
Geitonogamy is pollination between different flowers of the same plant, while autogamy occurs within a single flower. The key trap: students confuse geitonogamy with cross-pollination because it involves a pollinating agent (like insects), but genetically it's identical to autogamy since pollen comes from the same plant. NTA tests whether you understand that geitonogamy is functionally cross-pollination but genetically self-pollination. To get it right: remember that the agent of pollination doesn't determine the type—the source of pollen does. Same plant = self-pollination genetically, regardless of whether pollen travels to another flower.
What does NCERT say about Geitonogamy Transfer pollen grains?
Has this concept appeared in NEET?
Which chapter is this from?
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.