Which one of the following pairs of plant structures has haploid number of chromosomes?
- Nucellus and antipodal cells
- Egg nucleus and secondary nucleus
- Megaspore mother cell and antipodal cells
- Egg cell and antipodal cells
Answer
(4) Egg cell and antipodal cells
Solution
The nucellus and the megaspore mother cell (MMC) are diploid (2n) tissues of the ovule.
The secondary nucleus is formed by fusion of the two polar nuclei, so it is diploid (2n).
As per NCERT, the embryo sac is formed from the haploid functional megaspore by mitotic divisions, so the egg cell, synergids and antipodal cells are all haploid (n).
∴ Egg cell and antipodal cells form the haploid pair.
Answer: (4)