The vital link that ensures continuity of species between organisms of one generation and the next generation is-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → zygote
Option (1) Male gamete — Incorrect. The male gamete carries only half the chromosomes; alone it cannot start a new individual.
Option (2) Female gamete — Incorrect. The female gamete is also haploid and needs fertilisation.
Option (3) zygote — Correct. The diploid zygote, formed by the fusion of the gametes, is the single cell from which the next generation begins.
Option (4) syngamy — Incorrect. Syngamy is the process of fusion of the gametes, not a structure that carries life on.
Note: This question is from Chapter 1, Reproduction in Organisms, of the pre-rationalised NCERT book. This chapter is not in the present NCERT book (2026-27). The extract below is from the pre-rationalised edition.
NCERT Extract (Pre-rationalised edition, Chapter 1, Reproduction in Organisms):
Post-fertilisation Events – “… Formation of the diploid zygote is universal in all sexually reproducing organisms. In organisms with external fertilisation, zygote is formed in the external medium (usually water), whereas in those exhibiting internal fertilisation, zygote is formed inside the body of the organism. … Zygote is the vital link that ensures continuity of species between organisms of one generation and the next. Every sexually reproducing organism, including human beings begin life as a single cell–the zygote.”