Q. Which one of the following statements is not true?
(a) Tapetum helps in dehiscence of anthers.
(b) Exine of pollen grains is made of sporopollenin.
(c) Pollen grains of many species cause severe allergies.
(d) Stored pollen in liquid nitrogen can be used in the crop breeding programme.
Solution :
Correct option : A Tapetum is the innermost layer and completely surrounds the sporogenous tissue. The cells of Tapetum have dense cytoplasm and generally possess more than one nuclei. Tapetum nourishes the developing pollen grains .The layer of the anther wall that helps in anther dehiscence is endothecium. The cells of endothecium develop fibrous thickenings at maturity which radiate from the inner tangential walls. These thickenings are made up of alpha cellulose and traces of lignin. These thickenings are hygroscopic and thus, help in anther dehiscence. Hence, statement B is not true. So, the correct answer is A.
