Fern Life Cycle
Ferns are seedless plants that reproduce from spores. Their life cycle is also different from seed plants in that it involves two distinct phases – an asexual phase and a sexual phase.
In the asexual phase, spores form in clusters on the underside of mature fern fronds. The spores are held in cases called sporangia. Once the spores are developed, the sporangia breaks open and the spores are dispersed by wind and moving water.
Under the right conditions, a single spore will germinate and grow into a heart-shaped plant called a gametophyte. Root-like rhizoids anchor the gametophyte to the ground. The gametophyte has both male and female parts.
Sperm cells make their way from the male part to the female part and fuse with female egg cells. The fertilized egg cell develops into an embryo. It eventually grows larger than the gametophyte and becomes a sporophyte. The sporophyte produces spores and the two-phase life cycle repeats.
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