Question:

Given below are two statements:
Statement (I) : Gigas and genome buffering effect exhibited by haploid plants
Statement (II) : In watermelon, there no existence of parthenocarpy under natural conditions.
In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below.

Show Hint

The "gigas" effect is a hallmark of polyploidy (e.g., tetraploid plants have larger cells/leaves). Haploids ($1n$) are always small, weak, and highly fragile.
  • Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are correct.
  • Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are incorrect.
  • Statement (I) is correct but Statement (II) is incorrect.
  • Statement (I) is incorrect but Statement (II) is correct.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
To evaluate these statements, we must analyze the physiological effects of ploidy levels (haploidy vs. polyploidy) and the reproductive biology of watermelon.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

Let us evaluate both statements individually:
- Statement (I) is incorrect: The "gigas" effect (characterized by increased cell size, larger stomata, thicker leaves, and larger flowers/fruits) and the "genome buffering" effect (where multiple gene copies mask the expression of deleterious recessive mutations) are classic characteristics of polyploid plants, which possess duplicated chromosome sets.
In contrast, haploid plants ($1n$) have only a single set of chromosomes.
They are typically small, weak, and sterile, showing a "nanism" (dwarfing) effect rather than a gigas effect, and they have no genome buffering capacity.
- Statement (II) is correct: Under natural conditions, watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) does not exhibit natural parthenocarpy (fruit development without fertilization).
Commercial seedless watermelons are produced using triploid ($3n$) plants.
Even these triploid plants require pollination (pollen stimulation) from adjacent diploid plants to trigger fruit set, and do not set fruit parthenocarpically in the absence of pollen.
Therefore, Statement (I) is incorrect, while Statement (II) is correct, matching Option (D).

Step 3: Final Answer:

Statement (I) is incorrect but Statement (II) is correct.
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