Egg - Synergids

The three cells of the egg apparatus are arranged in triangular fashion with the egg sharing a common wall with the two synergids and the central cell. In the egg the wall is thicker at the micropylar end and is absent at the chalazal end. At this end the lateral walls of the egg cell appear to join the central cell wall. The egg cell wall is traversed by plasmodesmata on the sides of the two synergids and the central cell but not at its outer face. The egg cell becomes highly polarized early in its development. Polarity is expressed by the aggregation of cytoplasmic elements at the chalazal end of the cell. The micropylar end of the cell is occupied by a large vacuole. Thus, the distribution of the vacuole and cytoplasm in the egg cell is just the opposite of that in the synergids.

The ultra structure of the egg cytoplasm indicates that it is inactive. The mitochondria show only a few cristae. But for Zea mays, dictyosomes are either absent (Epidendrum) or are only a few in numbers. Where present, the dictyosomes exhibit an inactive state. Plastids are present in the egg; they often contain a striking difference from the male gametes. The egg cytoplasm is rich in ribosomes. In Plumbago capensis where the embryo sac lacks synergids. However many finger- like wall projections arise at the micropylar end of the egg cell. They resemble the filiform apparatus of the synergids. In this plant the egg cell seems to have taken over the role of synergids in addition to its own gametic function.