Endosperm filled with reserve food for developing embryo in flowering plants is:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Triploid
In double fertilisation, one male gamete fuses with the egg and forms the diploid zygote. The other male gamete fuses with the two polar nuclei in the central cell. This fusion of three haploid nuclei is called triple fusion. It forms the primary endosperm nucleus, which is triploid (3n). This cell divides many times and forms the endosperm, which stores food for the growing embryo.
(1) Haploid — Incorrect. Haploid (n) cells have one set of chromosomes, like the egg and the male gametes.
(2) Diploid — Incorrect. The zygote and the embryo are diploid (2n), not the endosperm.
(3) Triploid — Correct. The endosperm has two sets of chromosomes from the polar nuclei and one from the male gamete.
(4) Tetraploid — Incorrect. No nucleus with four sets forms in double fertilisation.
NCERT Extract:
Endosperm – “Endosperm development precedes embryo development. Why? The primary endosperm cell divides repeatedly and forms a triploid endosperm tissue. The cells of this tissue are filled with reserve food materials and are used for the nutrition of the developing embryo.”