Question

To produce 1600 seeds, the number of meiotic divisions required will be ______.

Options

• 2400

• 2000

• 1600

• 1800

Answer 1

To produce 1600 seeds, the number of meiotic divisions required will be 2000.

Explanation:

One seed is formed when one pollen grain and one egg fertilize each other. To create 1600 seeds, 1600 pollen grains, and 1600 eggs will be needed. Each microspore mother cell produces four pollen grains following one round of meiotic division. So 400 meiotic divisions will produce 1600 pollen grains. After one cycle of meiotic division, one megaspore mother cell produces one egg; hence, 1600 meiotic divisions are required to produce 1600 eggs. Thus, the total number of meiotic divisions necessary to produce 1600 seeds is 400 + 1600 = 2000.