2.

CHAPTER: SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN FLOWERING PLANTS

Q.No Question Marks

Multiple Choice Question

Q.16 During apomictic seed formation, there is no reduction division and the gametes 1
(both egg cell and the pollen/sperm cells) are diploid.

What is the ploidy of the endosperm formed through apomixis?

A. 2n
B. 3n
C. 4n
D. 6n

Q.17 "Cells of the tapetum of a microsporangium are usually multinucleate". 1

Which of the following can be a reason for the tapetal cells to become
multinucleate?

A. They fuse with the polar cells of the megasporangium.

B. They do not undergo karyokinesis.
C. They do not undergo cytokinesis.
D. They do not undergo mitosis.

Q.18 Two statements are given below - one labelled Assertion (A) and the other 1
labelled Reason (R).

Assertion (A): Pollen tube germinates through the germ pores on the pollen
grains.

Reasoning (R): Pollen-pistil compatibility chemicals help to dissolve

sporopollenin for the pollen tube to germinate.

Which of the following is correct?

A. Both A and R are true, and R is a correct explanation of A.

B. Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.

Q.19 The image below is that of an extinct angiosperm species Archaefructus. 1

Competency Focused Practice Questions | Biology | Grade 12 9

 In a science fiction movie, scientists find fossilised pollen grains
of Archaefructus and use them to fertilise a modern genus
of Archaefructus. Nitya thinks that these pollen grains can be found under polar
ice sheets where the temperature is around -40°C.

Is she correct and why?

A. Yes, because -40°C is enough to keep pollen grains viable.

B. No, because the pollen grains will get wet and won't function.
C. Yes, because pollen grains are viable at any temperature for several years.
D. No, because pollen grains need to be stored at much lower temperatures
to be viable.

Q.20 Which of the following is TRUE for a flower giving rise to a false fruit in apple? 1

A. The ovary is infertile.

B. The ovary does not undergo fertilisation.
C. The thalamus undergoes fertilisation.
D. The thalamus forms a part of the fruit.

Q.21 Two statements are given - one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled 1
Reason (R).
Assertion (A): Endosperm in a flowering plant is formed before the formation of
the embryo.
Reason (R): The endosperm provides food to the developing embryo.

Which of the following is correct?

A. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of the assertion
B. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of the assertion.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true

Free Response Questions/Subjective Questions

Competency Focused Practice Questions | Biology | Grade 12 10

 Q.22 The exine layer of pollen grains contains sporopollenin which is a highly resistant 2
chemical. Sporopollenin allows pollen grains to be well-preserved as fossils.
(a) Can fossilised pollens fertilise an ovum of the same species in the present
day? Justify.
(b) How do scientists preserve pollen grains for later use?

Q.23 State ONE characteristic of a pollen grain that can help students identify: 2

(a) a water-pollinated pollen grain

(b) an animal-pollinated pollen grain.

Q.24 "Continued self-pollination results in inbreeding depression". 2

(a) Mention ONE impact of inbreeding depression on the upcoming generations
in a farmland.
(b) State ONE way in which cross-pollination helps in avoiding inbreeding
depression.

Q.25 Pollen grains are shed at either a two-celled stage or a three-celled stage and 3
may take some time to reach the stigma for fertilisation. The pollen grains
germinate on the stigma of the flowers.
(a) Where do the pollen grains get the nutrition to remain viable and germinate
on the stigma?
(b) Mention the cell divisions that a microspore mother cell goes through to
reach a three-celled pollen grain stage.

Q.26 Set up: An area with different species of plants. A colour tracer is added to the 3
pollen of species A.

Observation: The pollen from species A reaches the flowers of species A as well
as species B. However, pollination occurs only with the flower of the species A.

(a) Name and explain the phenomenon underlying this observation.

(b) How can a farmer prevent any more pollen grains from landing on the stigma
of flowers of the same species after she has artificially pollinated the flowers?
Q.27 Bees transfer pollen from the younger flowers at the top of a plant to the older 2
flowers at the base.
Is this an example of self-pollination or cross-pollination? Justify.

Q.28 A floral formula is a concise representation of the structure of a flower. the 5

following symbols are used to represent different facts about the flower:

K= calyx

C= corolla

Competency Focused Practice Questions | Biology | Grade 12 11

 A= androecium

G= gynoecium

For example, a floral formula K5C5 A5 G2 means that the flower has 5 sepals, 5
petals, 5 stamens and 2 carpels in the ovary.

Rishabh comes across a floral formula K6 C6A10G0 for all flowers in a plant.

(a) What does the floral formula indicate about the sexuality of the flowers?

(b) What kind of pollination (self or cross) will the plant show? Justify.

(c) What kind of fruits will this plant bear and why?

(d) If this flower is seen to have large, yellow showy petals, what is the most likely
pollinating agent for the flower?
Q.29 The embryo sac represents the female gametophyte in a flowering plant. 5
(a) What are the constituents of the egg apparatus in the embryo sac?
(b) What is the ploidy of the cells of the egg apparatus?
(c) The formation of the embryo sac involves mitotic divisions that are "free
nuclear" till the 8-celled stage. What does the term "free nuclear" mean?
(d) The filiform apparatus at the micropylar end forms an important part of the
embryo sac. What is the importance of the filiform apparatus?

Q.30 (a) The image below shows a blue-throated hummingbird visiting a flower. 5

What is the benefit that the flower derives from the hummingbird? Justify.
(b) What kind of pollen grains would a flower most likely have when it is seen to
be visited regularly by birds and butterflies?
(c) "Self-pollinated flowers mostly do not need pollinating agents." Mention
whether this statement is true or false with a reason for your answer.

Q.31 Give a reason for each of the following: 5

(a) The exine of pollen grains is very hard.
(b) The endosperm of flowering plants is triploid.

Competency Focused Practice Questions | Biology | Grade 12 12

 (c) A pollen grain landing on a stigma does not ensure fertilisation.
(d) Sexual reproduction brings in variation.
(e) Seeds of hybrid varieties need to be produced afresh every year.

Q.32 "A typical angiosperm anther is bilobed and dithecous". 2

Draw a labelled diagram to show how the anther would look like in a transverse
section.

Q.33 Cells of the microspore tetrads are diploid. 2

Is this statement TRUE? Justify your answer.

Q.34 A farmer sowed tomatoes (plants with both sexes in the same flower) and bitter 2
gourd (plants with both sexes in different flowers on the same plant) on his
farmland.
(a) To ensure cross-pollination, what should the farmer do in each of the cases?
(b) If the male flowers from the tomato plant are removed and pollen is dusted,
can the flower grow into a fruit? Why or why not?

Q.35 Describe a process that can enable you to observe pollen tube germination 3
under laboratory conditions.

Q.36 Sudha cracked open a coconut and found the following content as shown in the 3
image below:

(a) Identify the parts of the seed labelled P and Q.

(b) What is most likely to have happened to the coconut water?
(c) What is the ploidy of the coconut water that we drink from the tender
coconut? Justify.

Q.37 Some scientists have used modified techniques of the conventional methods of 3
artificial hybridisation. One such reference is that of Reddy et al (1970) where:

- a razor blade is used to make an incision on one side of a flower bud and some
petals are removed.

- forceps are used to emasculate the flower

- the bud is covered with a drinking straw made of plastic.

Competency Focused Practice Questions | Biology | Grade 12 13

 - the open end of the straw is bent.

- the straw is removed during pollination and replaced once pollination is

completed.

[Ref: http://oar.icrisat.org/959/1/RA_00166.pdf]

(a) What process of a conventional method of artificial hybridisation method is

the straw mimicking?

(b) State 2 possible benefits of bending the straw.

Q.38 Consider two plants species as described below: 3

Species P: bisexual, androecium and gynoecium mature at the same time and
anther and style are almost of the same height
Species Q: unisexual, androecium matures later than the gynoecium and anthers
are longer than the styles
(a) What kind of pollination is likely to be seen in species P and Q. Give a reason
for your answer in each case.
(b) If a plant cultiver wants more viable varieties of offsprings, which species
should he choose to cultivate and why?

Competency Focused Practice Questions | Biology | Grade 12 14

 Answer key and Marking Scheme

Q.No Answers Marks

Q.16 D. 6n 1

Q.17 C. They do not undergo cytokinesis. 1

Q.18 C. A is true, but R is false. 1

Q.19 D. No, because pollen grains needs to be stored at much lower temperatures to 1
be viable.

Q.20 D. The thalamus forms a part of the fruit. 1

Q.21 B. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of the assertion. 1

Q.22 (a) 0.5 marks each for stating yes/no and reason: 2

- no

- because pollen grains cannot remain viable for such a long time as that taken
for fossilization.

(b) in liquid nitrogen at very low temperature conditions

Q.23 1 mark for each correct answer: 2

(a) The pollen grain will have a mucilagenous covering to avoid getting wet.

(b) The pollen grains will have a sticky exterior.

[Accept any other valid answer]

Q.24 (a) Inbreeding depression can result in loss of fertility and vigour in the existing 2
population.

(b) Cross pollination brings about variation of characters that help in increased
vigour of the population

Q.25 (a) The vegetative cell of the two or three- celled pollen grains provide nutrition. 3

(b) 1 mark for each correct division:

- microspore mother cells undergoes meiotic division to form the microspores

- microspores undergo mitotic division to form the three-celled stage

Competency Focused Practice Questions | Biology | Grade 12 15