Question

In case of Polyembryony, an embryo ‘P’ develops from a synergid and the embryo ‘Q’ develops from the nucellus. State the ploidy of embryo ‘P’ and ‘Q’.

Answer 1

If embryo ‘Q’ develops from the nucleus while embryo ‘P’ develops from a synergid in the scenario of polyembryony, their respective ploidy levels would be:

Embryo ‘P’ (derived from synergid cells): Haploid (n)

Embryo ‘Q’ (derived from nucellus): Diploid (2n)

The nucellus is a diploid tissue, whereas the synergids, which are haploid, are a component of the female gametophyte. As a result, the ploidy levels of the embryos derived from these tissues are maintained.