Read the following statements and select the correct option :

Statement I - In diploid organisms, specialized cells called meiocytes (gamete mother cell) undergo meiosis.

Statement II- In several simple plants like algae, bryophytes and pteridophytes, water is the medium through which this gamete transfer takes place.

Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.

The correct answer is Option (3) -Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.

In diploid organisms, specialised cells called meiocytes (gamete mother cell) undergo meiosis. At the end of meiosis, only one set of chromosomes gets incorporated into each gamete. After gamete formation, male and female gametes must be physically brought together to facilitate fusion (fertilisation).

In a majority of organisms, male gamete is motile and the female gamete is stationary. Exceptions are a few fungi and algae in which both types of gametes are motile .There is a need for a medium through which the male gametes move.

In several simple plants like algae, bryophytes and pteridophytes, water is the medium through which this gamete transfer takes place.

A large number of the male gametes, however, fail to reach the female gametes. To compensate this loss of male gametes during transport, the number of male gametes produced is several thousand times the number of female gametes produced.