Question

please distinguish between parthenogenesis, parthenocarpy and apomixis and also are any of these interrelated somehow?

Answer 1

Parthenocarpy
In certain members of angiosperm the ovary develops into fruit without fertilization. This phenomenon of development of ovary into fruit without the act of fertilization is known as parthenocarpy. The fruit developed as a result is called is known as parthenocarpic fruit. The characteristic feature of the parthenocarpic fruit is that they are always seedless, so they are named as seedless fruits.
Apomixis Apomixis is defined as the asexual formation of a seed from the ovule leading to embryo development. The formation is from the maternal tissues of the ovule, thus it avoids the processes of meiosis and fertilization. Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is a form of reproduction in which the ovum develops into a new individual without fertilization. Natural parthenogenesis has been observed in many lower animals (it is characteristic of the rotifers), especially insects, e.g., the aphid


. In many social insects, such as the honeybee and the ant, the unfertilized eggs give rise to the male drones and the fertilized eggs to the female workers and queens.