Question

The female gametophyte of angiosperms is called the embryo sac. How many cells and nuclei does a mature embryo sac contain?

Options

• 6 cells and 8 nuclei

• 7 cells and 7 nuclei

• 8 cells and 8 nuclei

• 7 cells and 8 nuclei

Answer 1

The mature female gametophyte (embryo sac) in angiosperms is 7-celled and 8-nucleate. This means there are 7 distinct cells, but 8 nuclei in total because the two polar nuclei remain without individual cell walls in the central cell. This is the characteristic structure of the Polygonum type embryo sac, the most common type in angiosperms.