Question: Explain the monosporic development of embryo sac in the ovule of an angiosperm.
The correct answer is –
The development of the embryo sac in the ovule of an angiosperm plant is a complex process that involves the formation of several cells through mitotic division. Monosporic development is a type of embryo sac development that occurs in about 70% of angiosperm species.
The process of monosporic development of the embryo sac can be divided into several stages:
- Megaspore mother cell (MMC): The process begins with the formation of a megaspore mother cell (MMC) within the ovule. The MMC undergoes meiosis to produce four haploid cells.
- Functional megaspore: Three of the four cells produced by meiosis degenerate, and only one of them develops into a functional megaspore.
- Mitotic division: The functional megaspore undergoes three rounds of mitotic division, resulting in the formation of eight haploid nuclei, which are enclosed in a single cell.
- Cell differentiation: The eight nuclei undergo differentiation to form three distinct cell types: the egg cell, two synergids, and three antipodal cells.
- Polar nuclei fusion: The two polar nuclei located at the center of the embryo sac fuse to form a diploid nucleus called the secondary nucleus.