1 answer
(click or scroll down)
Explain Bot The first stage of non-flowering plant reproduction is typically the production of spores. Spores are small, typically single-celled structures that are capable of developing into new individuals.
To understand how this process happens, we need to know the life cycle of a non-flowering plant. Let's take mosses as an example.
1. Starting with the haploid phase: Mosses have a life cycle that alternates between a haploid (gametophyte) phase and a diploid (sporophyte) phase. The haploid phase is the predominant stage in the life cycle of mosses.
2. Gametophyte development: The moss plant begins its life cycle as a haploid spore. The spore germinates and develops into a small, gametophyte plant called a protonema, which is a thread-like structure.
3. Production of gametes: The protonema develops further to produce specialized structures called gametophores. These gametophores bear the male organs called antheridia, which produce sperm, and the female organs called archegonia, which produce eggs.
4. Fertilization: Sperm from the antheridia swims through water or is carried by organisms to the archegonia, where fertilization takes place, resulting in a diploid zygote.
5. Sporophyte development: The zygote develops into a diploid sporophyte, which remains attached to the gametophyte plant. The sporophyte consists of a capsule at the tip, which contains the spores.
6. Spore production: Inside the sporophyte's capsule, specialized cells undergo meiosis, a process that reduces the chromosome number, resulting in the production of haploid spores. These spores are then released into the environment.
This completes the first stage of non-flowering plant reproduction, where the production of spores prepares the groundwork for the next generation of plants to develop.