Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:
Seed is often described as a fertilised ovule. Seeds are formed inside fruits. A seed typically consists of seed coat(s), cotyledon(s) and an embryonal axis. Mature seeds may be albuminous or non-albuminous.
What is the final product of sexual reproduction in angiosperms?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Seed
Sexual reproduction in a flowering plant runs through several events: formation of gametes in the flower, pollination, double fertilisation, and the growth of the endosperm and embryo. As these events go on, the ovule matures into the seed and the ovary into the fruit. The seed, holding the new embryo with its food store and protective coat, is where the whole process ends.
Option (1) Seed — Correct. The seed is a fertilised ovule. It carries the embryo, the next generation, in a resting state, ready to germinate when conditions are right.
Option (2) Flower — Incorrect. The flower is the site of sexual reproduction, where the gametes form and fertilisation takes place. It comes at the start of the process, not at its end.
Option (3) Embryo — Incorrect. The embryo develops from the zygote, but it is only one part of the seed. The seed also has the seed coat and the cotyledons, so the embryo alone is not the final product.
Option (4) Endosperm — Incorrect. The endosperm develops from the primary endosperm nucleus and nourishes the embryo. In many seeds it is used up before the seed matures, so it cannot be the end product.
NCERT Extract:
Seed – “In angiosperms, the seed is the final product of sexual reproduction. It is often described as a fertilised ovule. Seeds are formed inside fruits. A seed typically consists of seed coat(s), cotyledon(s) and an embryo axis. The cotyledons (Figure 1.15a) of the embryo are simple structures, generally thick and swollen due to storage of food reserves (as in legumes).”