From one pollen mother cell, how many male gametes can be produced maximally?

Options

A. 2
B. 4
C. 6
D. 8

Answer

To determine how many male gametes can be produced from one pollen mother cell, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding the Pollen Mother Cell**:
- The pollen mother cell (PMC) is a diploid cell (2n) that undergoes meiosis to produce male gametes.

2. **Meiosis Process**:
- During meiosis, one diploid pollen mother cell divides to form four haploid cells. This process is known as microsporogenesis.

3. **Formation of Microspores**:
- The four haploid cells produced from the PMC are called microspores. Each microspore can develop into a pollen grain, which is the male gamete.

4. **Maximum Number of Male Gametes**:
- While the minimum number of male gametes produced is four (one from each microspore), under certain conditions, it is possible for each microspore to further divide and produce additional male gametes.

5. **Final Count**:
- The maximum number of male gametes that can be produced from one pollen mother cell is eight. This is because each of the four microspores can potentially produce two male gametes through further division.

### Conclusion:
- Therefore, the maximum number of male gametes that can be produced from one pollen mother cell is **8**.