Question

Number of prothallial cells present in the male gametophyte of angiosperms is?
A)One
B)Two
C)Many
D)Zero

Answer 1

Hint: The gametophyte's roles are the development of sperm cells and female cells and their fertilization union. In flowering plants, the male gametophyte is the pollen grain, and the female gametophyte is the embryo sac. The male gametophyte inside the anther completes its early development.

Complete answer:
The vegetative cells that are found in the male gametophyte gymnosperms are prothallial cells. There are sterile cells that arise along the antheridial cell that grows into the cells of the generative cell and the tube.

Therefore, as they are present only in gymnosperms and totally absent in angiosperms, the male gametophytes of the angiosperms have 0 prothallial cells.

Angiosperms also have the peculiar property of double fertilization, in addition to the
embryo, forming a normally triploid endosperm. The male gametophyte is produced in the stamens' anthers, and the female gametophyte is found inside the pistil in the ovules.

Plants have generations that alternate between the diploid sporophyte and haploid gametophyte, unlike animals which produce single-celled gametes directly from meiotic products . From the zygote, the fused result of haploid gametes, the diploid sporophytic generation grows. To create haploid spores, sporophytic cells undergo meiosis, and divide mitotically to form a multicellular gametophyte. Subsequently, some cells in gametophytes divide into gametes.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D)

Note: Among gymnosperms, conifers on the same tree have male and female cones. Other gymnosperms on various individuals bear male and female reproductive systems. In all gymnosperms, the male gametophyte (pollen grain) reaches the female reproductive structure helped by wind or animals.