Sexual Reproduction

The steps in the sexual mode of reproduction of the malarial parasite are: Gamete Formation: Gametocytes are formed in the human host and are ingested by a female \textit{Anopheles} mosquito during a blood meal. Fertilization: Male and female gametocytes fuse in the mosquito’s gut to form a zygote. Ookinete Formation: The zygote develops into a motile ookinete, which penetrates the mosquito’s gut wall. Oocyst Development: The ookinete forms an oocyst on the mosquito's gut wall. Sporozoite Formation: The oocyst undergoes multiple divisions to produce sporozoites, which migrate to the mosquito’s salivary glands. Completion: The sporozoites are injected into a new human host when the mosquito feeds, completing the cycle. - The sexual reproduction of Plasmodium occurs in the mosquito (definitive host), while asexual reproduction occurs in the human (intermediate host). - The sporozoites introduced into the human bloodstream travel to the liver, initiating the next cycle of asexual reproduction.

Step 1: One microspore mother cell (2n) → meiosis → 4 microspores → 4 pollen grains. So, 50 × 4 = 200 pollen grains.
Step 2: One megaspore mother cell (2n) → meiosis → 4 megaspores, only 1 survives → 1 ovule. So, 50 × 1 = 50 ovules. Correction: Based on the question, if all 4 megaspores survived (theoretical max), then 50 × 2 = 100 ovules is a valid answer per option.