Question

On culturing the young anther of a plant a botanist got a few diploid plants along with haploid plants. Which of the following might have given the diploid plants?

• A. Exine of pollen gram
• B. Vegetative cell of pollen
• C. Cells of anther wall
• D. Generative cell of pollen

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Cells of anther wall

Pollen grains are produced by meiosis of microspore mother cells. Diploid (2n) microspore mother cells are housed in the anther and divide by meiosis to form four haploid (n) microspores. Each microspore develops by mitosis into a pollen grain. So pollen grains are haploid and when cultured it produces a haploid plant. Anther wall has four wall epidermis, endothecium, middle layers and tapetum and all of them are diploid and produce diploid plant when cultured on artificial media. So, the correct answer is option C.