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Antheridium

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	Antheridium
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	Topics Antheridium Topic Home An antheridium (plural: antheridia) is a haploid structure or organ producing and containing male gameteGamete Gametes, from the ancient Greek ?aet?? , are the specialized germ cells that come together during fertilization in orga... s (called antherozoids or spermSperm The term sperm is derived from the Greek word sperma and refers to the male reproductive cells.... ). It is present in the gametophyteFacts About Gametophyte In plants that undergo alternation of generations, a gametophyte is the structure, or phase of life, that contains only half... phase of lower plants like mossMoss Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1-10 cm tall, occasionally more.... es and fernFern A fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also... s, and also in the primitive vascular psilotophytes. Many algae and some fungiFungus A fungus is a eukaryotic organism that digests its food externally and absorbs the nutrient molecules into its cells.... , for example ascomycetes and water mouldWater mould Water moulds or Oomycetes are a group of filamentous, unicellular protists, physically resembling fungi.... s, also have antheridia during their reproductive stages. An antheridium typically consists of sterile cellCell (biology) The cell is the structural and functional unit of all living organisms, and is sometimes called the "building block of life.... s and spermatogenous tissue. The sterile cells may form a central support structure or surround the spermatogenous tissue as a protective jacket. The spermatogenous cells give rise to spermatids via mitotic cell divisionCell division Cell division is the process by which a cell, called the parent cell, divides into two cells, called daughter cells.... . In bryophyteBryophyte The bryophytes are those embryophyte plants that are non-vascular: they have tissues and enclosed reproductive systems, but ... s, the antheridium is borne on an *antheridiophore, a stalk-like structure that carries the antheridium at its top. In many gymnospermGymnosperm Gymnosperms* are a group of seed-bearing plants which bear seeds on cone-like structures rather than inside fruit like angios... s and all angiosperms, the male gametophytes have been reduced to pollen grainsPollen Pollen, sometimes incorrectly called flower sperm, is a fine to coarse powder consisting of *microgametophytes* ... and their antheridia have been reduced to a single generative cell within the pollen grain. During pollinationPollination Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains to the plant carpel, the ... , this generative cell divides and gives rise to two sperm nuclei. The female counterpart to the antheridium is the archegoniumArchegonium Summary An archegonium, from the ancient Greek a??? and ?????, is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phas... . Gallery