What is alternation of generations?
Alternation of generations refers to instances where there is a multicellular haploid and diploid component/stage/phase in the life cycle.
What types of plants have alternation of generations?
Alternation of generations occurs in all land plants.
How did alternation of generations arise in plant groups?
It arose independently in evolutionary history many times, also occurring in other groups.
What is the name of the haploid generation?
The haploid generation is called the Gametophyte.
What does the gametophyte make?
The gametophyte directly makes gametes.
What is the diploid structure?
The diploid structure is called the sporophyte.
What does the sporophyte make?
The sporophyte makes spores by meiosis.
In land plants, what does meiosis make?
In land plants, meiosis results in the making of spores.
What process do spores undergo to create the gametophyte?
Spores undergo mitosis to create the multicellular gametophyte.
What is a spore?
A spore is a single cell that can divide to produce a multicellular organism that often has a protective coat (called sporopollenin).
What is a gamete?
A single cell that can and must unite with another gamete to create a diploid zygote.
Example of a green alga without alternation of generations?
Chlamydomonas (Chlorophyta) spend most of their lives as single-celled, haploid organisms. They live in ponds or moist soils and have two flagella.
How did alternation of generations originate?
Alternation of generations originated when a zygote delays meiosis and instead continues to grow and divide.
What does the origination of alternation of generations mean?
The multicellular haploid (archegonium & gametophyte) contains the zygote, which undergoes delayed meiosis and instead undergoes mitotic divisions, producing the multicellular sporophyte (multicellular diploid). This also results in the embryophyte condition of a multicellular haploid housing a multicellular diploid.
How many divisions of land plants are there?
There are 10 divisions of land plants or embryophytes.
What are the 4 main divisions of land plants?
The 4 main divisions are Mosses, Ferns, Conifers, and Angiosperms.
How many species of mosses are there?
The division of Bryophyta (mosses) contains around 15,000 species.
Basic facts about division Bryophyta?
Why are mosses confined to damp areas?
They are confined to damp areas for two reasons:
Why don’t they have true leaves?
True leaves need to have a vascular system, which mosses lack.
What does it mean to be sporophyte or gametophyte dominant?
The state that is more dominant is the more long-lived state. This means that it is what we see when we look at the plant.
Where do moss sporophytes arise from?
Moss sporophytes arise from the gametophytes. They are dependent on the gametophyte and live for a short period of time.
Moss life cycle?
Where do moss sporophytes grow out of?
Moss sporophytes grow out of the top of gametophytes.