In a flowering plant a microspore mother cell produce four male gametophytes while a megaspore mother cell form only one female gametophyte. Explain.

• Microspore mother cells are found in the sporophyte tissue of anther. They give rise to 4 microspores after undergoing meiosis. The 4 microspores remain in a tetrad which separates after maturity and develop into a male gametophyte or pollen grain with 2 or 3 cells.

• Megaspore mother cell divides mitotically in the ovary to develop 4 megaspores out of which 3 degenerate. The remaining megaspore develops mitotically to produce the female gametophyte.

• Therefore, in a flowering plant a microspore mother cell produces four male gametophytes while a megaspore mother cell form only one female gametophyte.