Question

Draw a neat labelled diagram of a mature anatropous ovule before fertilization.

Answer 1

• The ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells.
• The ovule is made up of the nucellus which is the largest part of the ovule, the integuments forming the tough outer protective layer of the ovule, and the female gametophyte (called an embryo sac in flowering plants), which are found at the very centre.
• The integument encloses the nucellus except for a small gap, which is called the micropyle.
  
• In Anatropous, the ovules become completely inverted during development so that the micropyle lies close to the hilum. The hilum is a scar that marks the point where the seed was attached to the fruit wall by the funicle.