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Prothallium

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	Topics Prothallium Topic Home A prothallium, or prothallus (from LatinLatin Overview Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome.... pro = forwards and GreekGreek language Greek has a documented history of 3,500 years, the longest of any single language within the Indo-European family.... ?a???? (thallos) = twig) is usually a pteridophytePteridophyte The pteridophytes are vascular plants that neither flower nor produce seeds, hence they are called vascular cryptogams.... , i.e. spore-bearing plant, (almost exclusively 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) in gametophyteGametophyte In plants that undergo alternation of generations, a gametophyte is the structure, or phase of life, that contains only half... stage in the alternation of generationsAlternation of generations Alternation of generations is a reproductive cycle of certain vascular plants, fungi, and protists.... cycle. Occasionally the term is also used to describe the young gametophyte of a liverwort or peat mossSphagnum Summary *Sphagnum* is a genus of between 150-350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat ... as well. The prothallium of a pteridophyte forms from a sporeSpore In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersion and surviving for extended periods of time in... that has fallen from the sporophyteSporophyte A sporophyte is the structure of a plant or alga that has a diploid set of chromosomes.... stage and germinatedFacts About Germination Germination is the process where growth emerges from a resting stage.... . It is a short-lived and inconspicuous heart-shaped structure typically 2-5 millimeters wide, with a number of rhizoidRhizoid Rhizoids are a structure in plants and fungi that functions like a root in support or absorption.... s (root-like hairs) growing underneath, and the sex organs: archegoniumArchegonium An archegonium, from the ancient Greek a??? and ?????, is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phas... (female) and antheridiumFacts About Antheridium An antheridium is a structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants producing and containing the spermatids or... (male). Appearance varies quite a lot between species. Some are green and conduct photosynthesisPhotosynthesis Photosynthesis , generally, is the synthesis of sugar from light, carbon dioxide and water, with oxygen as a waste product.... while others are colorless and nourish themselves underground as saprotrophs. Alternation of generations Spore-bearing plantsPteridophyte The pteridophytes are vascular plants that neither flower nor produce seeds, hence they are called vascular cryptogams.... , like all plants, go through a life-cycle of alternation of generationsAlternation of generations Alternation of generations is a reproductive cycle of certain vascular plants, fungi, and protists.... . The fully grown sporophyteSporophyte A sporophyte is the structure of a plant or alga that has a diploid set of chromosomes.... , what the layman refers to as the fernFern Overview A fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also... , produces genetically unique sporeSpore In biology, a spore is a reproductive structure that is adapted for dispersion and surviving for extended periods of time in... s in the sori by meiosisMeiosis In biology, meiosis is the process that allows one diploid cell to divide in a special way to generate haploid cells in euka... . The haploid spores fall from the sporophyte and germinate by mitosisMitosis Mitosis is the process by which a cell separates its duplicated genome into two identical halves.... , given the right conditions, into the gametophyteGametophyte In plants that undergo alternation of generations, a gametophyte is the structure, or phase of life, that contains only half... stage, the prothallus. The prothallus then develops independently for several weeks; it grows sex organs and produces ovaOvum An ovum is a haploid female reproductive cell or gamete.... and flagellated spermSperm Summary The term sperm is derived from the Greek word sperma and refers to the male reproductive cells.... . After rainfall, the sperm are able to swim to the ova for fertilizationFertilization Fertilization , is fusion of gametes to produce a new organism of the same species.... to form a diploid sporophyteSporophyte A sporophyte is the structure of a plant or alga that has a diploid set of chromosomes.... cell. This cell divides by mitosis and grows out of the gametophyteGametophyte In plants that undergo alternation of generations, a gametophyte is the structure, or phase of life, that contains only half... into a new fern, which will produce new spores that will grow into new prothallia etc., thus completing the life cycle of the organismOrganism In biology and ecology, an organism is a living complex adaptive system of organs that influence each other in such a way t... . Advantages of alternation of generations There are two important evolutionary advantages to the alternation of generationsAlternation of generations Alternation of generations is a reproductive cycle of certain vascular plants, fungi, and protists.... plant life-cycle. Firstly, by forming a haploid gametophyte, there is only one alleleAllele Overview In genetics, an allele is any one of a number of viable DNA codings occupying a given locus on a chromosome.... for any geneticGenetics Genetics is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms.... trait. Thus, all alleles will be expressed because no allele may be masked by a dominantDominant allele In genetics, dominant allele refers to a genetic feature that hides the recessive allele.... counterpart (there is no counterpart). The benefit of this is that any mutation that causes a lethal, or harmful, trait expression cannot be masked and will cause the gametophyte to die; thus, the trait cannot be passed on to future generations, preserving the strength of the gene pool. Also, crossing-overMeiosis In biology, meiosis is the process that allows one diploid cell to divide in a special way to generate haploid cells in euka... during meiosisMeiosis In biology, meiosis is the process that allows one diploid cell to divide in a special way to generate haploid cells in euka... in the formation of spores, and sexual reproductionSexual reproduction Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that results in increasing genetic diversity of the offspring.... in the gametophytes, allows for genetic diversity, which also inhibits harmful recessive genesGenetics Genetics is the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms.... from "surfacing" and being expressed. External links