Melocyte of rice has 24 chromosomes. Determine the number of chromosomes in the synergids.

Options

A. 24
B. 48
C. 72
D. 12

Explanation

To solve the question regarding the number of chromosomes in the synergids of rice, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Terms**:
- The term "melocyte" refers to the diploid (2n) state of the rice cell, which has 24 chromosomes.
- The synergids are part of the female gametophyte in flowering plants and are involved in the fertilization process.

2. **Determine the Ploidy Level**:
- Since the melocyte is diploid (2n), it contains two sets of chromosomes. In this case, 2n = 24.
- To find the haploid (n) number of chromosomes, we divide the diploid number by 2.

3. **Calculate the Haploid Number**:
- \( n = \frac{2n}{2} = \frac{24}{2} = 12 \)
- Therefore, the number of chromosomes in the synergids, which are haploid, is 12.

4. **Conclusion**:
- The number of chromosomes in the synergids of rice is 12.

### Final Answer:
- The number of chromosomes in the synergids is **12**.