Tag: parthenogenesis

The formation of the plant from gametophytic cell without fertilization is called apogamy.

Seedless tomato fruit can be grown without fertilization if the plant growth hormone is sprayed on them. This will result in their parthenocarpy. This is the technique of induced parthenocarpy where the vegetables are sprayed with plant growth regulators. 

Bananas are seedless because they are all sterile. They are produced due to asexual reproduction. They reproduce from rhizome or bulb and not from seeds.

The formation of fruits without fertilization is called parthenocarpy. Such fruits are either seedless or non-viable seeds. Parthenocarpy is of two types- 

Parthenocarpy  is the natural or artificially induced production of fruit without fertilization of ovules, which makes the fruit seedless. Stenospermocarpy may also produce apparently seedless fruit, but the seeds are actually aborted while they are still small. Parthenocarpy (or stenospermocarpy) occasionally occurs as a mutation in nature; if it affects every flower the plant can no longer sexually reproduce but might be able to propagate by apomixis or by vegetative means. In some plants, pollination or another stimulation is required for parthenocarpy, termed stimulative parthenocarpy. Plants that do not require pollination or other stimulation to produce parthenocarpic fruit have vegetative parthenocarpy. Seedless cucumbers are an example of vegetative parthenocarpy, seedless watermelon is an example of stenospermocarpy.

Parthenogenesis may be defined as the development of female gamete into a new individual without fertilization. The megaspore mother cell undergoes the usual meiotic division to form haploid egg and embryo develops from the egg without fertilization.

Pathenocarpy is the development of fruit without fertilization. It helps in the production of seedless fruits. Examples include Vitis, grapes and so on.

Parthenocarpy is the natural or artificially induced production of fruit without fertilization of ovules and therefore, the fruit is seedless. 

Parthenogenesis as per the definition is a process of asexual reproduction where the unfertilized egg develops into an embryo. It is very commonly seen in pants and lower vertebrates (wasps, rotifers and bees) but very uncommon in higher animals.