The leaf mesophyll cells of an angiosperm contain 24 chromosomes. What will be the number of chromosomes in the synergid, zygote, and primary endosperm nucleus (PEN) of this plant, respectively?

Step-by-step solution

Leaf mesophyll cells are somatic cells, which means they are diploid ( 2n ). Given 2n = 24 , the haploid chromosome number is n = 12 . Synergids are cells of the female gametophyte (embryo sac) and are haploid ( n ). Thus, the number of chromosomes in a synergid is 12 . The zygote is formed by the fusion of a haploid male gamete and a haploid egg cell, making it diploid ( 2n ). Thus, the number of chromosomes in the zygote is 24 . The primary endosperm nucleus (PEN) is formed by triple fusion (one haploid male game