A shop owner wants to make large scented pine cones for the holidays. If he wants the larger cones from a pine, which cones does he want?
a. the female cones
b. the cones from the gametophyte phase
c. the male cones
d. the cones from the sporophyte phase
The shop owner would want the larger cones from a pine tree, which are the female cones. These cones are typically larger in size and produce seeds. Thus, the correct answer is a. the female cones.
d. the cones from the sporophyte phase
To determine which cones the shop owner wants, we need to understand the life cycle of a pine tree.
Pine trees have two types of cones: male cones and female cones. Male cones produce pollen, while female cones house the seeds.
In the life cycle of a pine tree, the male cones release pollen grains, which are carried by wind to reach the female cones. The female cones contain the ovules, which are fertilized by the pollen to form seeds.
Since the shop owner wants to make large scented pine cones, it is clear that they are interested in cones that contain seeds. Therefore, the answer is option a: the shop owner wants the female cones.
Option b, the cones from the gametophyte phase, is incorrect because pine cones do not pass through a gametophyte phase. The gametophyte phase occurs in the reproductive cycle of ferns and mosses, not in pine trees.
Option c, the male cones, is incorrect because male cones do not contain seeds. They only produce pollen.
Option d, the cones from the sporophyte phase, is incorrect because both male and female cones are part of the sporophyte phase in the life cycle of a pine tree. The sporophyte phase refers to the dominant phase of the life cycle where cones are formed and seeds are produced.