Question

Tapetal cells are
A) Uninucleate
B) Binucleate
C) Multinucleate
D) Enucleate

Answer 1

Cells come from a latin word ‘cella’ which means ‘small room’. Cell is the smallest form of life. It is the structural, functional, fundamental unit of life. Cells are also referred to as the ‘building block’ of life.

Complete answer:
Tapetal cells
i) Tapetal cells are the specialized cells of the tapetum.
ii) Tapetum is the nutritive layer which is found in the anthers of the flowering plants.
iii) Tapetum provides nutrition to the pollen grains.
iv) Tapetum is located between the sporogenous tissue and the anther wall.
v) The cells of the tapetum i.e tapetal cells are usually bigger than that of the other cells.
vi) These cells normally have more than one nucleus.
vii) Polyploidy can be seen in the tapetal cells.

Tapetum helps in the formation of pollen walls, transportation of nutrients to the inner side of the anther, synthesis of the enzyme callase which is responsible for the separation of the microspore tetrad.Therefore, it has been clear from the above discussion that the tapetal cells are Multinucleated.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘C’.

Note: There are two types of the tapetum –
-Secretory tapetum – The secretory tapetum is also called the glandular tapetum. In case of the secretory tapetum, a layer of the tapetal cells remains around the anther locule.
-Plasmodial tapetum – The plasmodial tapetum is also called the amoeboid tapetum. In case of the plasmodium tapetum, the tapetal cells dissolve and their protoplasts fuse to form a multinucleate plasmodium.