An anther having four microsporocytes shall produce pollen grains

Options

A. 24
B. 12
C. 8
D. 16

Answer

To determine how many pollen grains are produced by an anther with four microsporocytes, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Microsporocytes**: Each microsporocyte (also known as a microspore mother cell) undergoes meiosis to produce microspores.

2. **Meiosis Process**: During meiosis, one microsporocyte divides to form four haploid microspores.

3. **Calculating Microspores from Microsporocytes**: Since there are 4 microsporocytes in the anther, we can calculate the total number of microspores produced:
- Each microsporocyte produces 4 microspores.
- Therefore, 4 microsporocytes will produce:
\[ 4 \text{ microsporocytes} \times 4 \text{ microspores/microsporocyte} = 16 \text{ microspores} \]

4. **Microspores as Pollen Grains**: In flowering plants, microspores develop into pollen grains. Hence, the total number of microspores produced will equal the total number of pollen grains.

5. **Final Answer**: Thus, an anther having 4 microsporocytes will produce a total of 16 pollen grains.

### Conclusion:
The answer is that an anther with 4 microsporocytes shall produce **16 pollen grains**.

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