In flowering plants, DNA content of the parent plant gets halved during

In flowering plants, the DNA content of the parent plant is halved during the process of meiosis (reduction division). This biological process is essential for sexual reproduction to ensure that the offspring maintains the correct chromosome number after fertilization.

• Pollen formation: This involves microsporogenesis, where diploid (2n) microspore mother cells in the anther undergo meiosis to produce haploid (n) microspores. These microspores eventually develop into pollen grains containing the male gametes.
• Other options: Seed germination, fruit formation, and flower bud formation are developmental processes involving mitosis, where the DNA content remains identical to the parent tissue cells.

Therefore, the halving of genetic material specifically occurs during the formation of reproductive spores, such as pollen and ovules, to facilitate the transition from the sporophytic (diploid) to the gametophytic (haploid) phase.