Maximum number of male gametes produced from one pollen mother cell (microspore mother cell) will be:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Eight
One pollen mother cell divides by meiosis into a tetrad of 4 microspores. Each microspore becomes a pollen grain, whose generative cell divides into 2 male gametes.
1 PMC → 4 pollen grains × 2 male gametes = 8 male gametes.
Option (1) Two — Incorrect. This is the number from one pollen grain, not from one mother cell.
Option (2) Four — Incorrect. This is the number of microspores from one mother cell.
Option (3) Eight — Correct. One pollen mother cell divides by meiosis into a tetrad of four microspores (pollen grains). Each pollen grain forms two male gametes, so one mother cell gives at most 4 × 2 = eight male gametes.
Option (4) Sixteen — Incorrect. Each pollen grain gives two male gametes, not four.