Question

Commonly, the antheridial cell in Selaginella divides to form a group of twelve cells, out of which __________ are primary androgonial cells.

• A. 2
• B. 4
• C. 6
• D. 8

Hint:

Four cells form the jacket layer, leaving the rest as primary androgonial cells.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: The antheridium of Selaginella starts from a single initial cell on the male prothallus and divides in a fixed pattern to produce twelve cells total, a small but well defined structure.

Step 2: Of these twelve cells, four differentiate into the protective outer jacket cells surrounding the antheridium, while the remaining eight cells become primary androgonial cells, the precursor cells that will eventually generate numerous sperm mother cells and finally the biflagellate sperm.

Step 3: Subtracting the four jacket cells from the total of twelve leaves eight primary androgonial cells, confirming the correct answer is 8.