Practice question

Recurrent apomixis termed diplosporous and aposporous types maintains chromosome number across cycles because embryo sac develops either from somatic nucellar cell dividing mitotically or from unreduced megaspore mother cell forming restitution nucleus after aborted meiosis. Egg cell therefore diploid containing full maternal chromosome complement 2n. Development proceeds parthenogenetically without fertilization, directly forming diploid embryo genetically identical to mother. Because ploidy same as maternal sporophyte, reproduction recurs stably, hence designation recurrent. Examples widespread in grasses Poa pratensis, Taraxacum officinale and Citrus species where nucellar embryony yields multiple diploid embryos per seed. Recurrent pathway sustains clonal populations expanding via seed dispersal, valuable for fixing elite genotypes and considered target for engineering apomixis to preserve heterosis in crops. This understanding supports competitive exam preparation for NEET, GATE and CSIR NET concepts linking genotype with phenotype through molecular pathways involving transcription factors, hormones and metabolic enzymes that regulate development, adaptation and reproductive biology in applied breeding programs.