Question

In self-fertilizing plants like tomatoes and peppers, what is the genetic stability of seeds produced without crossing over?

a. Seeds exhibit genetic stability due to self-fertilization.
b. Seeds show increased genetic diversity without crossing over.
c. Self-fertilization leads to identical chromatids in seeds.
d. Chromatids remain identical only in hybrid plants.

Answer 1

Self-fertilizing plants like tomatoes and peppers produce seeds with less genetic diversity as they transfer pollen within the same plant, resulting in offspring genetically similar to the parent.

Step-by-step explanation:

In self-fertilizing plants like tomatoes and peppers, the genetic stability of seeds produced without crossing over generally results in less genetic diversity. This occurs because self-fertilization involves the transfer of pollen from the anthers to the stigma of the same plant, leading to offspring that are more genetically similar to the parent. Despite self-fertilization forming seeds by meiosis, which could introduce some variation, this likely won't lead to significant genetic diversity as compared to that generated through cross-pollination. Mendel's experiments with pea plants demonstrated that self-pollination can maintain specific traits across generations, but hybridization is essential when increased variation is desired.