Some species of Asteraceae and grasses have evolved a mechanism to produce seeds without fertilization. Such phenomenon is called as:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Apomixis
Apomixis is the formation of seeds without fertilisation. It is a form of asexual reproduction that looks like sexual reproduction. In some species, the diploid egg cell is formed without reduction division and grows into an embryo without being fertilised.
(1) Double fertilisation — Incorrect. This is a process of angiosperms in which one male gamete fuses with the egg (syngamy) and the other fuses with the two polar nuclei (triple fusion). Fertilisation does take place here.
(2) Apomixis — Correct. The seed forms with no fusion of gametes, as in some species of Asteraceae and in grasses.
(3) Polyembryony — Incorrect. This means the presence of more than one embryo in a seed. It says nothing about whether fertilisation took place.
(4) Parthenocarpy — Incorrect. It is the formation of a fruit without fertilisation, as in banana. The question is about seeds.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 10-06-2023 (Slot 3).
NCERT Extract:
Apomixis and Polyembryony –
