Tetrasporic Embryo Sacs

In this group neither of the meiotic divisions is accompanied by wall formation so that at the end of meiosis all the four haploid nuclei remain in a common cytoplasm forming what is termed a coenomegaspore. A tetrasporic embryo sac is more heterogeneous than a bisporic embryo sac because the four products of meiosis involved in its formation are genetically different. The nuclear behavior in tetrasporic embryo sacs is quite variable. The arrangement of the four nuclei in the coenomegaspore before the beginning of post-meiotic mitosis is of three types:

(A) 2+2 arrangement; two nuclei at the micropylar ad and two of the chalazal end

 (B) 1+1+1+1 arrangement; one nucleus at the micropylar end, one at the chalazal end, and two placed laterally, one in each side, and

(C) 1+3 arrangement; one nucleus at the micropylar end and three at the chalazal end. Depending on whether nuclear fusion occurs or not, the number of the post-meiotic mitosis in the coenomegaspore and final organisation of the embryo sac, tetrasporic embryo sacs are of many types.