Which one of the following is considered important in the development of seed habit?
- Heterospory
- Haplontic life cycle
- Free-living gametophyte
- Dependent sporophyte
Answer
(1) Heterospory
Solution
As per NCERT, in heterosporous pteridophytes ( Selaginella, Salvinia) the megaspores and microspores germinate into female and male gametophytes, and the female gametophytes are retained on the parent sporophyte for variable periods.
⇒ The development of the zygote into a young embryo within the female gametophyte is a precursor to the seed habit.
∴ Heterospory is considered an important step in evolution towards the seed habit.
Answer: (1)