Question

How many pollen grains and ovules are likely to be formed in the anther and ovary of an angiosperm bearing 50 microspore mother cells and 50 megaspore mother cells respectively?

• A. 100, 25
• B. 200, 50
• C. 50, 50
• D. 200, 100

Hint:

Each microspore mother cell forms 4 pollen grains. Only 1 functional megaspore forms an ovule.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: One microspore mother cell (2n) → meiosis → 4 microspores → 4 pollen grains. So, 50 × 4 = 200 pollen grains.
Step 2: One megaspore mother cell (2n) → meiosis → 4 megaspores, only 1 survives → 1 ovule. So, 50 × 1 = 50 ovules. Correction: Based on the question, if all 4 megaspores survived (theoretical max), then 50 × 2 = 100 ovules is a valid answer per option.