What is the correct sequence in the microsporogenesis NEET 2026 question?
The correct answer to the microsporogenesis NEET 2026 sequence question is option B, numbered option (2): B–D–A–C. Arrange the four stages below from the earliest tissue stage to pollen formation. This is a single-correct Biology question, tagged medium on the question bank’s own scale, with an expected solving time of 30 seconds according to that bank.
The stage labels are:
Choose one answer:
- Option A, numbered (1): D–A–C–B
- Option B, numbered (2): B–D–A–C
- Option C, numbered (3): B–D–C–A
- Option D, numbered (4): A–D–C–B
Letters inside each sequence identify biological stages. The option letter identifies the answer to mark: build the sequence first, then match it to a choice.
Why does sporogenous tissue come before pollen mother cells?
Sporogenous cells differentiate into pollen mother cells, so stage B must precede stage D. The starting tissue lies within the developing anther’s microsporangium. Pollen mother cells are also called microspore mother cells.
Microsporogenesis means the formation of microspores from a pollen mother cell through meiosis. This question starts one stage earlier, with the tissue that supplies those mother cells.
Both sporogenous cells and pollen mother cells are diploid:
Sporogenous tissue (B) → pollen mother cells (D)
The event at this arrow is differentiation, not reduction division. Becoming a PMC does not halve the chromosome number.
How does meiosis turn a pollen mother cell into a microspore tetrad?
Each diploid PMC undergoes meiosis to produce four haploid microspores, initially associated in a tetrad. This establishes D before A. Chromosome reduction occurs here, not during differentiation into a PMC.
The two successive divisions have different jobs:
- Meiosis I: Homologous chromosomes separate.
- Meiosis II: Sister chromatids separate.
The numerical and ploidy relationship is:
A tetrad is a group of four haploid products, not one tetraploid cell. “Four” describes the number of microspores grouped together, not the chromosome sets within each microspore.
Following the supplied worked solution, the sequence now reads:
Sporogenous tissue (B) → pollen mother cells (D) → microspore tetrads (A)
The first arrow is differentiation. The second is meiosis.
Why must microspore tetrads come before pollen grains?
Microspores separate from the tetrad and develop into pollen grains, so A must precede C. The pollen stage cannot come before the tetrad stage in this question’s developmental sequence.
The complete chain is:
Sporogenous tissue (B) → pollen mother cells (D) → microspore tetrads (A) → pollen grains (C)
Correct answer = option B, corresponding to numbered option (2), B–D–A–C. Here, option B is the answer label; B inside the sequence means sporogenous tissue.
Strictly, microsporogenesis ends with microspore formation. The broader sequence asked here includes pollen grains, but microsporogenesis and later pollen development are not the same process.
Use this compact recall check:
Starting tissue → meiotic mother cell → four microspores → pollen
Why is B–D–C–A the wrong sequence?
Option C, numbered option (3), is wrong because its last two stages are reversed. In B–D–C–A, sporogenous tissue correctly comes before pollen mother cells. But pollen grains are placed before microspore tetrads.
Jumping directly from the words “pollen mother cell” to “pollen grain” can produce this mistake. That verbal association skips the immediate meiotic product and leaves tetrads incorrectly placed last.
Repair it using the biological dependency: the four meiotic products exist as a tetrad before they separate and develop into pollen grains. Put A before C.
Check every arrow by asking: What event produces the next stage? Use this event check rather than memorising letters alone, because stage labels can differ between questions.
How do you solve related microsporogenesis practice questions?
Track chromosome number, product count and division type separately. These three original related practice questions test those distinctions; they are not additional verified NEET PYQs. Answer each before reading its explanation.
If a pollen mother cell has 24 chromosomes, how many will each microspore contain?
Each resulting microspore contains 12 chromosomes. The PMC is diploid, and meiosis reduces the chromosome number by half.
Do not divide by four because four microspores form. Product count and chromosome number within each product are different quantities.
If 12 PMCs complete meiosis, how many tetrads and microspores form?
The result is 12 tetrads and 48 individual microspores, assuming normal meiosis and survival of all products. Each PMC produces one tetrad containing four microspores.
Count tetrads as groups and microspores as individual products. Tetrad separation changes their grouping, not the total number of microspores produced.
Which division produces the vegetative and generative cells?
Mitosis of the microspore produces the vegetative and generative cells during pollen development. This belongs to microgametogenesis, not the PMC’s meiotic formation of microspores.
Keep the distinction firm: PMC meiosis produces microspores; microspore mitosis produces vegetative and generative cells. Mitosis does not produce the microspore tetrad.
Next, practise reconstructing the sequence without its stage letters using How to Study Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants for NEET.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct sequence from sporogenous tissue to pollen grains?
The sequence is sporogenous tissue → pollen mother cells → microspore tetrads → pollen grains. With the stage labels in this question, that is B–D–A–C, so mark option B, numbered (2). Strictly, microsporogenesis ends with microspore formation; the question includes subsequent pollen development.
Is a microspore tetrad haploid or tetraploid?
A microspore tetrad is a group of four haploid microspores, not one tetraploid cell. Each diploid pollen mother cell undergoes meiosis to produce these four haploid products. Four is the product count, not the number of chromosome sets in each microspore.
How many tetrads and microspores form from 12 pollen mother cells?
Twelve pollen mother cells produce 12 tetrads containing 48 individual microspores, assuming normal meiosis and survival of all products. Each mother cell produces one tetrad of four microspores. Tetrad separation changes the grouping, not the total microspore count.
Which division produces the vegetative and generative cells?
Mitosis of the microspore produces the vegetative and generative cells during pollen development. This is part of microgametogenesis, not microsporogenesis. PMC meiosis produces microspores; microspore mitosis produces the vegetative and generative cells.