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    Life Cycle of Angiosperms

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    ruykunga12

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    Life Cycle of Angiosperms

    Uploaded by

    ruykunga12
    11 views5 pages

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    11 views5 pages

    Life Cycle of Angiosperms

    Uploaded by

    ruykunga12

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 5

    Life Cycle of Angiosperms

    Flowering plants are termed angiosperms. The flowering plants are the most dominant
    vascular plants that are found all around the world. Here, let us learn more about the life
    cycle of angiosperms in detail.

    What are Angiosperms?


    Phanerogams or spermatophytes are a plant division that comprises plants that bear seeds.
    This includes the gymnosperms as well as the angiosperms. Angiosperms are a plant group
    with flowers that produce seeds enclosed within a carpel. In other words, these are flowering
    plants that produce seeds within a fruit. Whereas gymnosperms are a plant group comprising
    seed-bearing plants with seeds unprotected by a fruit. Examples – conifers, cycads, etc.

    Examples of angiosperms – Roses, lilies, eggplant, tomato, rice, wheat, mango, etc. These
    plants typically have well-differentiated bodies with fully developed shoot and root systems.
    They can survive in various habitats.

    Angiosperms – Taxonomy

    The taxonomy of angiosperms is based on several primitive and advanced characteristics


    proposed by many systematists like Linnaeus and Takhtajan. Their ideas established different
    principles in taxonomy which are now helping us to understand the concept of angiosperms’
    phylogeny.

    Kingdom Plantae
    Division Spermatophyta
    Infradivision Angiosperms
    Angiosperms were formerly termed Magnoliophyta. This division of flowering plants is
    further divided into 2 classes:

    1. Liliopsida (Monocotyledons) – Banana


    2. Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons) – Sunflower
    Here, the Magnoliopsida includes a few primitive angiosperms. They typically bear
    orthotropous ovules.

    See more:Difference between Anatropous and Orthotropous Ovule

    Darwin has described the origin of angiosperms as a mystery. Angiosperms are said to have
    originated during the cretaceous period.
    Angiosperm – Reproduction
    The flower is the reproductive structure of an angiosperm and can be either unisexual or
    bisexual. One of its primary duties is to reproduce seeds through sexual reproduction. Also
    double fertilisation is a characteristic feature of Angiosperms. Here, one female gamete unites
    with two male gametes. After fertilisation, the ovary forms the fruit, and the ovules form the
    seeds while the remaining parts wither off.

    Angiosperm – Life Cycle


    The angiosperm life cycle typically demonstrates the alternation of generations with haploid
    gametophyte and diploid sporophyte alternation.
    The sporophyte stage is the primary period of an angiosperm’s life cycle. Angiosperms are
    heterosporous. This means they produce bigger megaspores and smaller microspores.

     They produce microspores, which will deliver pollen grains as their male
    gametophytes. Likewise, the megaspores germinate into the egg cells or female
    gametophytes. Like any other multicellular organism, the angiosperm also generates
    gametes by meiosis.
     Inside the anthers’ microsporangia, male gametophytes are cleaved by meiosis to
    create haploid microspores. This further goes through mitosis and leads to the
    formation of pollen grains.
     Every pollen grain contains two cells – a generative cell and a pollen tube cell. The
    generative cell will produce haploid sperm.
     Meanwhile, the ovule contains the megasporangium, which is safeguarded by two
    layers of integuments and the ovary wall. Inside every megasporangium, a
    megasporocyte goes through meiosis, creating four megaspores (one large and three
    small).
     Out of four, only the largest megaspore survives to produce an immature
    megagametophyte (embryo sac). This megagametophyte further cleaves three times to
    form an eight-celled stage. Four cells out of these eight shift towards the pole of the
    embryo sac. Two cells shift towards the equator region and fuse to form a 2n polar
    nucleus.
     A fully grown embryo sac has two synergids (helping cells), two polar nuclei, three
    antipodal and one egg cell. Usually, the sperm cells are deposited inside this embryo
    sac with the help of a pollen tube.
     The pollen tube reaches the micropylar end of the ovule and makes its way into one of
    the synergids. After reaching the destination, it releases the sperm cells.
     One sperm fuses with an egg cell to form a diploid zygote (2n). The second sperm
    fuses with the two central polar nuclei to form a triploid zygote (3n).
     The zygote matures into an embryo that has two (dicot) or one (monocot) leaf-like
    structures known as cotyledons and a radicle, or tiny root. The endosperm is formed
    as the second sperm cell fuses with the two polar nuclei. This endosperm tissue acts as
    a food reserve.

    The Sporophyte
    A diploid phase (2n) in the life cycle of a plant and some algae is
    known as the sporophyte. Sporophyte develops from the zygote and
    produces spores by meiosis. The spores then develop into haploid
    gametophytes. It produces two morphologically and physiologically
    different kinds of spores:

     Microspore.
     Megaspore.

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