If the microspore mother cell of an angiosperm contains 24 chromosomes, what will be the number of chromosomes in its synergid, zygote, and primary endosperm cell, respectively?

Step-by-step solution

The microspore mother cell (MMC) is a sporophytic structure and is diploid ( 2n ). Given 2n = 24 , the haploid chromosome number ( n ) is 12 . A synergid is a cell of the female gametophyte (embryo sac) and is haploid ( n ). Therefore, it contains 12 chromosomes. The zygote is formed by syngamy (fusion of a male gamete and an egg cell) and is diploid ( 2n ). Therefore, it contains 24 chromosomes. The primary endosperm cell is formed by triple fusion (fusion of one male gamete with two polar nuclei) and is triploid