Question

An anther has 1200 pollen grain. How many PMCs must have been there to produce them?
(a) 1200
(b) 300
(c) 150
(d) 2400

Answer 1

Hint: It's produced within the anthers (microsporangia or pollen sacs) of the flower. An undifferentiated mound of cells (anther primordium) the anther forms two general groups of cells during its development. The reproductive or sporogenous cells produce the microspores and are formed from cells located centrally within the developing anther. During microsporogenesis, the diploid sporogenous cells differentiate as microsporocytes which divide by meiosis to make four haploid microspores.

Complete answer:
Meiosis of 1 Pollen cell (PMC) produces 4 haploid pollen grains. Hence, for the production of 1200 pollen grains, 1200/4=300 PMCs are required.

Pollen is the source and transport unit for the male gametes (or their progenitor cell). The microspore of seed plants formed by the unicellular pollen grain, the multicellular pollen grain the male gametophytic generation. The function of a pollen grain incorporates microsporogenesis and microgametogenesis.
Microsporogenesis begins with the separation of microspore mother cells (MMC) respectively pollen mother cells (PMC). For the formation of a tetrad of 4 haploid microspores, these diploid cells become encased by a thick callose wall and go through meiosis, each encased in another callose wall protecting them from each other and consequently the encompassing diploid tapetal cells.
Cytokinesis following meiotic nuclear divisions is amid the formation of cleavage planes determined by the configuration and orientation of the meiotic spindle axes. Within the case of successive cytokinesis, planes are formed after the primary and second meiotic divisions resulting in the formation of varied microspore tetrad types.
So the correct answer is ‘300’.

Note: During simultaneous cytokinesis, the cleavage planes are formed simultaneously after the second meiotic division, and microspores become arranged during a tetrahedral tetrad. The engulfed generative cell divides another time by mitosis (pollen mitosis II) to make the 2 sperm cells completely enclosed within the somatic cell cytoplasm either before pollen is shed (tricellular pollen) or within the plant part (bicellular pollen).