Three cells located at the end of the embryo sac opposite to the egg apparatus in flowering plants. These cells often degenerate after fertilization and their exact function remains somewhat mysterious, though they may play roles in nutrition or signaling.
From Greek 'antipodes' meaning 'with feet opposite' or 'on the opposite side of the earth', referring to their position at the opposite pole from the egg cell. The botanical usage emerged in the late 19th century when the structure of the embryo sac was first detailed.
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