Question

In a dithecous anther, each pollen sac contains 1000 MMC. What is the total number of pollen grains produced by the anther?

• A. 4,000
• B. 8,000
• C. 16,000
• D. 32,000

Hint:

Always remember: Dithecous = 2 lobes = 4 microsporangia (pollen sacs). Most calculation errors in this topic happen by forgetting that an anther has four chambers, not two.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
An anther's structure determines the total production capacity for pollen. A Microspore Mother Cell (MMC) undergoes meiosis to produce a microspore tetrad, which eventually matures into four individual pollen grains.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
1. Total Pollen = (Number of Pollen sacs) \(\times\) (MMC per sac) \(\times\) (Pollen per MMC).
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
1. Number of Pollen sacs: A dithecous anther (typical angiosperm anther) consists of two lobes, and each lobe contains two pollen sacs (microsporangia). Therefore, a dithecous anther has a total of 4 pollen sacs.
2. MMC per sac: The problem states there are 1000 MMC in each sac.
3. Pollen per MMC: Each MMC undergoes meiosis to produce 4 pollen grains.
4. Calculation:
\[ \text{Total Pollen} = 4 \text{ sacs} \times 1000 \text{ MMC/sac} \times 4 \text{ pollen/MMC} \] \[ \text{Total Pollen} = 4000 \times 4 = 16,000 \]
Step 4: Final Answer
The total number of pollen grains produced is 16,000.