Question

What are synergids?

Answer 1

Synergids is one of two small cells found near the egg in a flowering plant's mature embryo sac. They aid in the process of fertilization. The two Synergid cells serve as the source of the signals that guide the pollen tube. The nutritional center is made up of three antipodal cells.

Complete answer:
Synergid cells are two small, specialized cells found in the embryo sac of a flowering plant's female gametophyte, next to the egg cells. It feeds the ovum and aids in the direction of the pollen tube. These structures are critical for the termination of pollen tube growth and the release of sperm cells.

Synergids play an important role in the reproduction of flowering plants, also known as angiosperms. A pollen tube develops into one of the synergids during the fertilization process. The tube stops growing, ruptures and two sperm cells are released.

Synergids are also required for pollen tube growth to stop and sperm cells to be released. At the micropylar end, the synergid cell wall thickens to form the filiform apparatus, which consists of numerous finger-like projections into the synergid cytoplasm.

The pollen tube eventually enters an ovule via the micropyle and penetrates one of the sterile cells on each side of the egg (synergids). After pollination, these synergids begin to degenerate. Pollen tubes can grow to be very long, as in corn, where the corn silk is made up of styles for the corn ear and each silk thread contains many pollen tubes.

Note: Recent molecular approaches have improved our understanding of synergid cells' roles in fertilization. The current review summarizes the findings of recent research on the role of synergids in angiosperm reproductive function.