Apomixis: Asexual Seeds — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2019In some plants, the female gamete develops into embryo without fertilization. This phenomenon is known as: (NEET 2019)
In some plants, the female gamete develops into embryo without fertilization. This phenomenon is known as: (NEET 2019)
Seed formation without fertilisation in flowering plants involves the process of (NEET 2016)
Answer & NCERT explanation
Correct answer: C — Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is the development of female gamete into embryo without fertilization. This natural form of asexual reproduction occurs in some plants and animals where the egg develops without being fertilized by sperm. Parthenocarpy is fruit formation without fertilization, syngamy is fertilization itself, and autogamy is self-fertilization. The question specifically mentions female gamete developing into embryo, which defines parthenogenesis.
Read more NCERT concept on the PYQ
Although seeds, in general are the products of fertilisation, a few flowering plants such as some species of Asteraceae and grasses, have evolved a special mechanism, to produce seeds without fertilisation, called apomixis. What is fruit production without fertilisation called? Thus, apomixis is a form of asexual reproduction that mimics sexual reproduction. There are several ways of development of apomictic seeds. In some species, the diploid egg cell is formed without reduction division and develops into the embryo without fertilisation. More often, as in many Citrus and Mango
Apomixis is asexual seed production where a diploid egg cell develops into an embryo without fertilization or meiosis, yet produces seeds that look like sexual reproduction. Students often confuse apomixis with parthenogenesis or incorrectly think it requires pollination. The key distinction: apomixis produces seeds (with seed coat and endosperm) without fertilization, while the embryo develops directly from the diploid egg. NEET repeatedly tests whether you recognize that apomixis is truly asexual reproduction mimicking sexual reproduction—it bypasses meiosis entirely, making it genetically identical to the parent unlike sexual reproduction.
What does NCERT say about Although seeds general are?
Has this concept appeared in NEET?
Which chapter is this from?
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.