Read the passage and answer the following questions.
In the process of sexual reproduction in angiosperms, the seed serves as the final product. It is formed from a fertilised ovule and is typically enclosed within a fruit. A seed is composed of several parts, including seed coats, cotyledons, and an embryo axis. The cotyledons of the embryo are simple structures that are often thick and swollen, storing food reserves, particularly in legumes. Mature seeds may be albuminous (retaining a part of the endosperm) or non-albuminous (with no residual endosperm). The integuments of the ovules harden to become protective seed coats, and a small pore called the micropyle remains, enabling the entry of oxygen and water during seed germination. As the ovules develop into seeds, the ovary undergoes transformation into a fruit. This simultaneous process involves the ovules turning into seeds, and the ovary walls developing into the fruit's pericarp. Fruits come in different types, including fleshy fruits like guava, orange, and mango, as well as dry fruits such as groundnut and mustard. Many fruits have evolved mechanisms for the dispersal of seeds.
Which of the following statements about seeds are correct?
A. Seeds of castor retain a part of the endosperm, which is used up during seed germination.
B. In seeds of pea, the endosperm is completely consumed by the developing embryo before seed maturation.
C. Seeds of barley have no residual endosperm in the mature seed.
D. In seeds of beans, the endosperm does not persist in the mature seed.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A, B and D only
Seeds are grouped by whether any endosperm is left in them at maturity. In non-albuminous seeds the endosperm is completely consumed by the developing embryo (pea, groundnut, beans). Albuminous seeds retain a part of the endosperm (wheat, maize, barley, castor), and this is used up during germination.
A. Seeds of castor retain a part of the endosperm, which is used up during seed germination. — True. Castor is an albuminous seed. Its endosperm persists in the mature seed and is used during germination.
B. In seeds of pea, the endosperm is completely consumed by the developing embryo before seed maturation. — True. Pea is a non-albuminous seed; the food is stored in its thick cotyledons instead.
C. Seeds of barley have no residual endosperm in the mature seed. — False. Barley, like wheat and maize, is an albuminous seed. It keeps a part of the endosperm.
D. In seeds of beans, the endosperm does not persist in the mature seed. — True. In beans, as in pea and groundnut, the endosperm is completely consumed before the seed matures.
So A, B and D are correct.
NCERT Extract:
Endosperm – “Endosperm may either be completely consumed by the developing embryo (e.g., pea, groundnut, beans) before seed maturation or it may persist in the mature seed (e.g. castor and coconut) and be used up during seed germination.”
Seed – “… Non-albuminous seeds have no residual endosperm as it is completely consumed during embryo development (e.g., pea, groundnut). Albuminous seeds retain a part of endosperm as it is not completely used up during embryo development (e.g., wheat, maize, barley, castor).”