How many meiotic divisions are necessary to form 200 seeds?

Options

A. 200
B. 250
C. 300
D. 350

Answer

To determine how many meiotic divisions are necessary to form 200 seeds, we need to analyze the requirements for both female and male gametes.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Requirement for Female Gametes:**
- Each seed is formed from the fusion of one female gamete and one male gamete.
- To produce 200 seeds, we need 200 female gametes.

2. **Meiotic Divisions for Female Gametes:**
- Each meiotic division produces one functional female gamete (the egg) and three other cells that degenerate.
- Therefore, to produce 200 female gametes, we need 200 meiotic divisions.

3. **Identify the Requirement for Male Gametes:**
- Each meiotic division in males produces four male gametes (sperms).
- To produce 200 male gametes, we need to calculate the number of meiotic divisions required.

4. **Calculate Meiotic Divisions for Male Gametes:**
- Since one meiotic division produces four male gametes, we can find the number of divisions needed by dividing the total number of male gametes by 4:
\[ \text{Number of meiotic divisions for males} = \frac{200 \text{ male gametes}}{4 \text{ male gametes per division}} = 50 \]

5. **Total Meiotic Divisions Needed:**
- Now, we add the meiotic divisions needed for female gametes and male gametes:
\[ \text{Total meiotic divisions} = 200 \text{ (for females)} + 50 \text{ (for males)} = 250 \]

### Final Answer:
Thus, the total number of meiotic divisions necessary to form 200 seeds is **250**.