Question

What process within flowering plants results in a zygote and endosperm?

A) Photosynthesis
B) Germination
C) Double fertilization
D) Meiosis

Answer 1

The process within flowering plants that results in a zygote and endosperm is called double fertilization.

During double fertilization, two sperm cells from the pollen grain fertilize two different structures within the ovule of the flower. One sperm cell fertilizes the egg cell, forming a zygote, which will develop into the embryo of the plant. The other sperm cell combines with two polar nuclei in the central cell of the ovule, resulting in the formation of endosperm. The endosperm serves as a nutrient-rich tissue that nourishes the developing embryo.

Therefore, the correct answer is

C) Double fertilization

Answer 2

The process that leads to the formation of a zygote and endosperm in flowering plants is double fertilization, where one sperm fertilizes the egg and another fuses with the polar nuclei to form the nutritive tissue endosperm. The correct option is C.

Step-by-step explanation:

The process within flowering plants that results in the formation of a zygote and endosperm is called double fertilization. During double fertilization, one sperm fertilizes the egg cell to form a diploid zygote, which develops into the embryo. This unique biological event occurs when pollen is deposited on the stigma of a flower, a pollen tube grows, and two sperm cells travel down this tube to the ovule. Upon reaching the ovule, one sperm cell fertilizes the egg cell, resulting in the formation of a diploid zygote.

The other sperm cell fuses with the central cell containing two polar nuclei to form a triploid cell that develops into the endosperm, a nutritive tissue. The newly formed zygote will eventually develop into an embryo with a radicle and cotyledons, while the endosperm will serve as a food reserve during the embryo's growth. After double fertilization, the fertilized ovule turns into a seed as the surrounding tissues develop into a seed coat.