NEETBotanySexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants
What happens after the pollen tube enters one of the synergids?
Options
- AThe pollen tube releases one male gamete into the cytoplasm.
- BThe pollen tube releases two male gametes into the cytoplasm.
- CThe pollen tube fuses with the egg cell.
- DThe pollen tube releases enzymes into the cytoplasm.
Correct answer
B. The pollen tube releases two male gametes into the cytoplasm.
Step-by-step solution
After entering one of the synergids, the pollen tube releases the two male gametes into the cytoplasm of the synergid . One of the male gametes moves towards the egg cell and fuses with its nucleus thus completing the syngamy. This results in the formation of a diploid cell, the zygote. The other male gamete moves towards the two polar nuclei located in the central cell and fuses with them to produce a triploid primary endosperm nucleus (PEN). As this involves the fusion of three haploid nuclei it is termed triple