Life cycles of mosses and ferns

1.

Life cycle of mosses and
ferns

2.

Aim of lesson
Explain the features of asexual and sexual generations as in
mosses and ferns

3.

Key terms
Sporophyte - the form of a plant in the alternation of
generations that produces spores
Gametophyte - the sexual form of a plant in the alternation
of generations

4.

Life cycle of plants
Plant life begins with germination of spores.A spore grows
into a gametophyte, an organism which produces gametes.
Gametes are fertilized and become sporophyte, an organism
which produces spores.

5.

6.

Mosses

7.

Mosses - are plants which don’t have flowers and seeds. They
lack transport system, so they absorb water by the whole
body.
Sporangium - capsule where spores are formed

8.

9.

Ferns

10.

Ferns are also spore-bearing plants. But have vascular
tissue.
Ferns sporangia are located under leaves

11.

Ferns sporangia are located under leaves

12.

13.

In mosses gametophyte plant is dominant, in ferns sporophyte
plant is dominant.

14.

Read text p. 120-121