Sporophyte
Sporophyte
Sporophyte (/ˈspɔːrəˌfaɪt/; from the Greek: σπορά, spora, "seed" and φυτόν, phyton, "plant") is one of the two alternating phases in the life cycle of plants and algae, characterized by diploid, or 2n, cells. The term sporophyte is derived from the Greek words "spora" meaning "seed", and "phyton" meaning "plant".
The sporophyte phase is a part of the alternation of generations in the life cycle of plants and algae. This phase alternates with the gametophyte phase, which is characterized by haploid, or n, cells.
In the sporophyte phase, the plant or algae produces spores, which are cells capable of developing into a new individual without fusion with another cell. These spores are produced by the process of meiosis, a type of cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes in the parent cell by half and produces four gamete cells.
The sporophyte phase is dominant in vascular plants, such as ferns and flowering plants, where it is the familiar, visually dominant form of the plant. In non-vascular plants, like mosses and liverworts, the sporophyte is a smaller and less noticeable part of the life cycle.
Related terms include zygote, which is the cell formed by the fusion of two gametes and marks the beginning of the sporophyte phase, and sporangium, which is the structure in which the spores are produced and stored.
See also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Sporophyte
- Wikipedia's article - Sporophyte
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski