Question

What is sporopollenin?

Hint:

Recall the name of the tough biopolymer forming pollen exine.

Answer 1

Step 1: Where it is Found:
Sporopollenin is the material that makes up the exine, the hard outer wall of a pollen grain in flowering plants.

Step 2: Its Key Property:
It is one of the most resistant organic materials known — it can withstand high temperatures, and strong acids and alkalis, and no enzyme capable of degrading it is known, which is why pollen exine is well preserved as fossils.