(c) Unicellular zygote is converted into multicellular embryo
Explanation:
During sexual reproduction in flowering plants, fertilization occurs when male and female gametes fuse to form a unicellular zygote. This zygote then undergoes repeated mitotic divisions to develop into a multicellular embryo. Meanwhile, the zygote itself does not directly convert into seed or fruit; rather, the ovule develops into a seed, and the ovary develops into the fruit. Thus, the critical event is the transformation of the unicellular zygote into a multicellular embryo within the seed.