A cross is made between a male angiospermic plant with a diploid chromosome number of 16 and a female plant with a diploid chromosome number of 24 . What will be the chromosome number in the endosperm and the embryo, respectively, of the resulting seeds?

Step-by-step solution

The diploid chromosome number of the male parent is 2n = 16 . Therefore, the haploid male gamete will have n = 8 chromosomes. The diploid chromosome number of the female parent is 2n = 24 . Therefore, the haploid egg cell will have n = 12 chromosomes, and the diploid secondary nucleus (formed by the fusion of two haploid polar nuclei) will have 2n = 24 chromosomes. The embryo is formed by syngamy, which is the fusion of one male gamete and the egg cell. The chromosome number in the embryo will be 8 + 12 = 20 . The