What would be the ploidy of the cells of the tetrad?

The cells of a tetrad (formed during microsporogenesis in the anther) are haploid (n).

Explanation:

A diploid microspore mother cell (MMC, 2n) undergoes meiosis.

Meiosis consists of two successive divisions (Meiosis I and II).

This reduces the chromosome number by half.

As a result, four microspores are produced, arranged in a tetrad.

Final ploidy:

👉 Each of the four cells in the tetrad = haploid (n)

Why this is important:

These haploid microspores later develop into pollen grains (male gametophytes).

Haploidy ensures that during fertilization, fusion with the female gamete restores the diploid (2n) condition.

In short:

Tetrad cells are haploid (n) because they are produced by meiotic division of a diploid mother cell.

What is ploidy?

Ploidy refers to the number of complete sets of chromosomes present in a cell.

Basic idea:

Every organism has chromosomes that carry genetic information.

Ploidy tells you how many full sets of these chromosomes are present.

Common types of ploidy:

Haploid (n): One set of chromosomes

→ Example: gametes (sperm and egg cells)

Diploid (2n): Two sets of chromosomes (one from each parent)

→ Example: most body (somatic) cells in humans

Polyploid (3n, 4n, etc.): More than two sets of chromosomes

→ Common in many plants

Simple example:

In humans:

Haploid (n) = 23 chromosomes

Diploid (2n) = 46 chromosomes

In short:

👉 Ploidy = number of chromosome sets in a cell