Question

Endosperm polyembryony is type of

• A. Adventitive polyembryony
• B. True polyembryony
• C. False polyembryony
• D. Gametophytic polyembryony

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

True polyembryony

The occurrence of multiple embryos in a seed is known as polyembryony. Polyembryony can be divided into two types:

1. True polyembryony: In this type, more than one embryos are formed within a single embryo sac. The extra embryos may arise from the cleavage of egg or zygote, from the synergids or antipodal cells or from the endosperm as all of these lies inside the embryo sac. When the extra embryos develop from the tissues outside the embryo sac, such as nucellus it is called adventitive polyembryony.

2. False polyembryony: When two or more embryos develop from different embryo sacs, it is called false polyembryony. The extra embryos may develop from another megaspore derived from megaspore mother cell or from a different megaspore mother cell.

Polyembryony can be gametophytic and sporophytic also. When the extra embryos arise from gametophytic cells of the ovule, it is called gametophytic polyembryony and when they are derived from zygote or proembryo or from initial sporophytic cells of the embryo, it is called sporophytic polyembryony.

Thus, the correct answer is option B.