embryo sac
Quick Summary
The embryo sac, also known as the female gametophyte, is a crucial component in the reproduction of flowering plants. It is a thin-walled sac located within the ovule and contains the egg nucleus and polar nuclei. These nuclei are essential for fertilization, leading to the development of the endosperm, which nourishes the developing embryo.123
The embryo sac is part of the gametophyte phase of the plant life cycle, arising from a sporophyte through meiotic division. In angiosperms, the embryo sac typically consists of eight nuclei. After pollination, pollen tubes grow towards the ovule, delivering sperm cells to fertilize the egg and polar nuclei, a process known as double fertilization. This fertilization event initiates the development of the embryo and the endosperm, which provides nutrients for the embryo's early growth.2435
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
angiospermGeneral characteristicsgametophyte of angiosperms (called the embryo sac) is tiny and contains only a few (typically eight) nuclei; the cytoplasm associated more or less directly with these nuclei is not partitioned by cell walls. One of the several nuclei of the embryo sac serves as the egg in sexual reproduction, unitingā¦
Read Moregametophyte of angiosperms (called the embryo sac) is tiny and contains only a few (typically eight) nuclei; the cytoplasm associated more or less directly with these nuclei is not partitioned by cell walls. One of the several nuclei of the embryo sac serves as the egg in sexual reproduction, unitingā¦
Read More
plant developmentPreparatory eventsā¦in this group as the embryo sac, develops from the parent spore while it is still retained in the sporangium. Three cell divisions result in eight nuclei, which arrange themselves so that three lie at each end and two lie in the centre. The cytoplasm then cleaves and three cellsā¦
Read Moreā¦in this group as the embryo sac, develops from the parent spore while it is still retained in the sporangium. Three cell divisions result in eight nuclei, which arrange themselves so that three lie at each end and two lie in the centre. The cytoplasm then cleaves and three cellsā¦
Read More
