Gen Bio 2 Q2 Lesson 1.1 Plant Life Cycle

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QUARTER 2: LESSON 1.1

PLANT REPRODUCTION
What I need to Know

Learning Competency: The learners should be able to compare various modes of asexual and sexual
reproduction (STEM_BIO11/12-IVa-h-1)
Specific Learning Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:
1. Describe alternation of generations
2. compare the life cycles of mosses, ferns and conifers,
3. sequence the life cycle of a flowering plant, and
Alternation of Generations: Life Cycles of Mosses, Ferns, and Conifers

Most plant life cycles include an alternation of generations. As shown in Figure
3, an alternation of generations consists of a sporophyte stage and a gametophyte
stage. All cells of a sporophyte are diploid. Certain cells of a sporophyte undergo
meiosis, which produces haploid spores. These spores undergo cell divisions and form
a multicellular, haploid gametophyte. Some cells of a gametophyte differentiate and
form haploid gametes. The female gamete is an egg, and the male gamete is a sperm.
When a sperm fertilizes an egg, a diploid zygote forms. This is sexual reproduction. The
zygote can undergo cell divisions and form an embryo sporophyte. If the embryo
develops to maturity, the cycle can begin again. This basic life cycle pattern is the same
for most plants. However, there are many variations on this pattern within the plant
kingdom. For instance, recall that in mosses the gametophyte is the familiar form, not Figure 3: In an alternation
of generations, the
the sporophyte. gametophyte (n) stage
In others, such as flowering plants, the gametophyte is microscopic. Most produces gametes, and the
people have never even seen the female gametophyte of a flowering plant. Botanists sporophyte (2n) produces
usually refer to the bigger, more obvious plant as the dominant generation. The spores.
dominant generation lives longer and can survive independently of the other
generation. In most plant species the sporophyte is the dominant plant.
Life Cycle of Mosses

The gametophyte stage is the dominant generation in mosses. A
haploid moss spore can germinate and grow to form a protonema (proh tuh
NEE muh). It is a small green filament of cells that can develop into the
gametophyte. In some mosses, male and female reproductive structures
form on separate gametophytes, but in others, male and female reproductive
structures are on the same gametophyte. Recall that the egg-producing,
female reproductive structure is an archegonium, and the sperm-producing,
male reproductive structure is an antheridium. Motile sperm from an
antheridium swim in a continuous film of water to an egg in an
archegonium. If fertilization occurs, a diploid zygote forms. The zygote
undergoes cell divisions forming the sporophyte that consists of a stalk with Figure 4: The moss gametophyte produces
a capsule at the top. The sporophyte remains attached to and dependent on gametes that join to form a zygote. The
zygote develops into the sporophyte that
the gametophyte. Cells in the capsule undergo meiosis, producing haploid produces spores. Spores can germinate and
spores. When the capsule matures, it bursts open and releases spores. If the grow into a gametophyte, completing the
spores land in a favorable environment, they can germinate and the cycle moss’s life cycle.
repeats, as shown in Figure 4.
Some moss gametophytes also reproduce by vegetative reproduction. They can break into pieces when dry and
brittle then, when moisture returns, each piece can grow and form a protonema then a gametophyte.
ML Bogñalbal | TNHS
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Life Cycle of Ferns
Figure 5 Unlike mosses, the dominant stage of the fern life
cycle is the sporophyte stage. The fern sporophyte includes
the familiar fronds you see in Figure 5A. Fern fronds grow
from a rhizome, which is an underground stem. On the
underside of some fronds are sori, which are clusters of
sporangia. Meiosis occurs within the sporangia, producing
haploid spores. When environmental conditions are right, the
sporangia open and release haploid spores, as shown in
Figure 5B.
A spore can germinate Figure 6
to form a heart-shaped
gametophyte called a
prothallus, as shown
in Figure 5C. The
prothallus produces
both archegonia and
antheridia on its surface. The flagellated sperm released by antheridia
swim through a film of water to eggs in archegonia. If fertilization occurs,
the diploid zygote can develop into the sporophyte. Initially, this
developing sporophyte depends upon the gametophyte for its nutrition.
However, once the sporophyte produces green fronds, it can carry on
photosynthesis and survive on its own. The prothallus dies and
decomposes as the sporophyte matures. The mature fern sporophyte
consists of a rhizome from which roots and fronds grow. If pieces of
rhizome break away, new fern plants can develop from them by vegetative reproduction. Sporangia can develop on
the fronds, spores can be released, and the cycle can begin again. The life cycle of the fern is summarized in Figure 6.
Life Cycle of Conifers

The dominant stage in conifers is the sporophyte generation. The Figure 7
adult conifer produces male and female cones on separate branches
of one plant. Cones contain spore-producing structures, or sporangia,
on their scales. Female cones, which are larger than the male cones,
develop two ovules on the upper surface of each cone scale. Each
ovule contains a sporangium with a diploid cell that undergoes
meiosis and produces four megaspores. A megaspore is a female
spore that eventually can become the female gametophyte. One of the
four megaspores survives and grows by cell divisions into the female
gametophyte. It consists of hundreds of cells and is dependent on the
sporophyte for protection and nutrition. Within the female
gametophyte are two or more archegonia, each containing an egg.
Male cones have sporangia that undergo meiosis to produce male
spores called microspores. Each microspore can develop into a male
gametophyte, or pollen grain. Each pollen grain, with its hard, water-
resistant outer covering, is a male gametophyte. Examples of male
and female conifer gametophytes are shown in Figure 7. In conifers,
pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the male cone to the
female cone. Pollination can occur when a wind-borne pollen grain falls near the opening in one of the ovules of the
female cone. The opening of the ovule is called the micropyle
(MI kruh pile). The pollen grain adheres to a sticky drop of fluid that covers the micropyle. As the fluid evaporates, the
pollen grain is drawn closer to the micropyle. Although pollination has occurred, fertilization does not take place for
at least a year. The pollen grain and the female gametophyte will mature during this time. As the pollen grain matures,
it produces a pollen tube that grows through the micropyle and into the ovule. A sperm nucleus from the male
gametophyte moves through the pollen tube to the egg. If fertilization occurs, a zygote forms. It is nourished by the
female gametophyte and can develop into an embryo with several cotyledons. The cotyledons will nourish the
sporophyte after germination. A seed coat forms around the ovule as the mature seed is produced. Mature seeds are
released when the female cone opens. When conditions are favorable, a released seed can germinate and grow into a
new, young sporophyte.
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Page 1

QUARTER 2: LESSON 1.1

What I need to Know

Alternation of Generations: Life Cycles of Mosses, Ferns, and Conifers

Life Cycle of Mosses

Life Cycle of Conifers

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