Question

What is double fertilization in plants? Who discovered it?

Hint:

Double fertilization ensures both embryo and endosperm formation in the same embryo sac, making angiosperms highly efficient.

Answer 1

Definition:
Double fertilization is a unique process in flowering plants (angiosperms) in which two male gametes participate in fertilization inside the embryo sac.
- One male gamete fuses with the egg cell $\Rightarrow$ forms the diploid zygote (2n).
- The other male gamete fuses with the two polar nuclei $\Rightarrow$ forms the triploid endosperm (3n).
Thus, two fertilization events occur simultaneously, hence called double fertilization.
Discovery:
It was discovered by Sergey Nawaschin in 1898 in angiosperms.
Final Answer:
\[ \boxed{\text{Double fertilization is the fusion of one male gamete with egg and another with polar nuclei, discovered by Sergey Nawaschin (1898).}} \]