Question

Read the following statement and answer the questions that follow:

“A guava fruit has 200 viable seeds.”

1. What are viable seeds?
2. Write the total number of: (i) pollen grains (ii) gametes in producing 200 viable guava seeds.
3. Prepare a flowchart to depict the post-pollination events leading to viable-seed production in a flowering plant.

Answer 1

(a) Those seeds that carry a living embryo and are capable of germinating into a seedling under appropriate conditions are termed as viable seeds.

(b)

1. Number of pollen grains required to form 200 seeds will be 200 only, as each pollen grain carries two generative cells, or male gametes and only one of the two is involved in zygote formation.
2. In total, 400 gamete cells are required for the production of 200 viable zygotes, leading to the formation of 200 guava seeds.

(c) Flow chart depicting the post-pollination events: