Question

The function of a funicle includes:
A) Support to the body
B) Supplying nutrition to the body from the placenta
C) Both [a] and [b]
D) None of these

Answer 1

Hint: The stalk that connects an ovule to the placenta in an ovary of a flowering plant is known as a funicle. It has a conducting tissue strand that extends from the placenta into the chalaza. It is usually filamentous and is analogous to umbilical cord. A funicle, also known as a ciliary body or cilium, is a slender organelle found in all eukaryotic cells and some prokaryotes. It typically measures around 12 nm long and 2-3 nm wide and has one end that protrudes into the cell while the other end projects forward.

Step by step solution:
Funicle, also known as a funiculus or cord, is a structure in the body that functions mainly to transport energized materials such as blood and nerve cells. It consists of two intertwined bundles of axons called myelin sheaths. The function of the funicle was once thought to be limited to transporting wastes away from different areas in the body, but recent research has shown that they play an important role in many bodily processes.
For fertilization, the megagametophyte creates an egg cell. The ovary contains a little substance called the ovule. It is connected to the placenta via a funicular, or stalk. The ovule receives nutrition from the funicle. Other than providing support, it also provides nourishment to the ovule.
The stimulation from the second fertilization helps the plant grow as the ovary transforms into a fruit. A diploid zygote is created when male and female haploid gametes combine. A new plant is created as a result of the zygote developing into an embryo.
After development it forms a link between the ovary and seed. Sometimes, it forms an extra layer around the seed. Most often that not, it is also edible for example in lychees.
So, option C is correct.

Note: In plants, chalaza is the base of the ovule where the nucellus and integuments meet. It is found in the ovule opposite the micropylar end. Plant nutrients are transported to the nucellus via chalaza. The embryo sac's chalazal end grows into three antipodal cells.