If the endosperm of an angiosperm has 24 chromosomes, what would be the number of chromosomes in the megaspore mother cell of the same plant ?

Options

A. 8
B. 16
C. 24
D. 32

Answer

To determine the number of chromosomes in the megaspore mother cell of the angiosperm, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Ploidy Levels
- The endosperm is triploid (3n) in angiosperms, formed from the fusion of one male gamete with two polar nuclei.
- Given that the endosperm has 24 chromosomes, we can deduce its ploidy level.

### Step 2: Calculate the Ploidy of the Endosperm
- Since the endosperm is triploid (3n) and has 24 chromosomes, we can find the haploid number (n).
- To find n, we divide the total number of chromosomes by 3:
\[ n = \frac{24}{3} = 8 \]

### Step 3: Determine the Ploidy of the Megaspore Mother Cell
- The megaspore mother cell (megaspore) is diploid (2n) because it undergoes meiosis to produce haploid megaspores.
- Since we found that the haploid number (n) is 8, we can calculate the diploid number (2n):
\[ 2n = 2 \times 8 = 16 \]

### Conclusion
- Therefore, the number of chromosomes in the megaspore mother cell of the same plant is **16**.

### Final Answer
- The answer is **16** (Option b).

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