Structure and Development of Ovule

The structure in flowering plants that develops into a seed after fertilization is called the ovule.

• The ovule is an integumented megasporangium present inside the ovary and is attached to the placenta by a stalk called the funicle.
• The nucellus is the central part containing reserve food, surrounded by one or two integuments for protection.
• The integuments leave a small opening called the micropyle at the apex, while the basal region is called the chalaza, and the attachment point is the hilum.
• The ovule is commonly anatropous, and contains an embryo sac (female gametophyte) with structures like egg cell, synergids, and polar nuclei.
• During development, the ovule arises from the placenta, and integuments grow around the nucellus to form a mature ovule.