Question

Describe the formation of an embryo from a fertilized egg in angiosperms.

Answer 1

Sperm cell release from the pollen tube occurs after intensive communication between the pollen tube cell and the receptive synergid, culminating in the lysis of both interaction partners. Following release of the two sperm cells, they interact and fuse with two dimorphic female gametes (the egg and the central cell) forming the major seed components embryo and endosperm, respectively. This process is known as double fertilization. In a process called fertilisation, the two gametes join and their chromosomes combine so that the fertilised cell contains a normal complement of chromosomes, with some from each parent flower.