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Sporangium
 
 
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A sporangium (pl., sporangia) is a plant
Plant

Plants are Life organisms belonging to the Kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae....
 or fungal
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
 structure producing and containing spore
Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproduction structure that is adapted for biological dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions....
s.






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Mature Sporangium of A Mucor Sp
Fern Sori
A sporangium (pl., sporangia) is a plant
Plant

Plants are Life organisms belonging to the Kingdom Plantae. They include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae....
 or fungal
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
 structure producing and containing spore
Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproduction structure that is adapted for biological dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions....
s. Sporangia occur in angiosperms
Flowering plant

The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of Embryophytes. The flowering plants and the gymnosperms are the only extant groups of Spermatophyte....
, gymnosperm
Gymnosperm

Gymnosperm is a group of spermatophyte seed-bearing plants with ovules on scales, which are usually arranged in cone-like structures. The other major group of seed-bearing plants, the angiosperms, [from the Greek, 'angion' - container] have ovules enclosed in a carpel, a sporophyll with fused margins....
s, fern
Fern

A fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta....
s, fern allies, bryophyte
Bryophyte

Bryophytes are all embryophytes that are non-vascular plant: they have tissues and enclosed reproductive systems, but they lack vascular tissue that circulates liquids....
s, alga
Algae

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds....
e, and fungi
Fungus

A fungus is a Eukaryote organism that is a member of the Kingdom Fungi . The fungi are a monophyletic group, also called the Eumycota , that is phylogeny distinct from the morphologically similar slime molds and water molds ....
. Their spores are sometimes called sporangiospores.

Types

Microsporangia are the structures on the stamens of flower
Flower

A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproduction structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to mediate the union of male sperm with female ovum in order to produce seeds....
s called anthers, and the pollen-producing structures on the microsporophylls of male conifer cone
Conifer cone

A cone is an organ on plants in the division Pinophyta that contains the plant sexuality structures. The familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds....
s or cycad cones.

Megasporangia are the comparable "female" structures on these plants, associated with the flower carpel and the megasporangial cone.

On fern
Fern

A fern is any one of a group of about 20,000 species of plants classified in the phylum or division Pteridophyta, also known as Filicophyta....
s, the mature plant is a sporophyte that develops sporangia, tiny, stalked sacs which contain meiospores
Spore

In biology, a spore is a reproduction structure that is adapted for biological dispersal and surviving for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions....
, on all or just certain leaves (called sporophylls if sporangia are present). The spores are usually on the underside of the leaves.

In mosses, the little case that rises above the vegetative growth on a thin stalk is a sporangium often called a capsule that, as in ferns, produces meiospores. This sporophytic
Sporophyte

All land plants, and some algae, have life cycles in which a haploid gametophyte generation alternates with a diploid sporophyte, the generation of a plant or alga that has a double set of chromosomes....
 (diploid) growth arises out of the gametophytic
Gametophyte

In plants and algae that undergo alternation of generations, a gametophyte is the multicellular structure, or phase, that is haploid, containing a single set of chromosomes:...
 (haploid) archegonium
Archegonium

An archegonium , from the ancient Greek ???? and ????? , is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants producing and containing the ovum or female gamete....
 after the ovum is fertilized. The sporophyte initially has some chlorophyll
Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from Greek language: ?????? and f????? ....
, but later turns brown and becomes dependent upon the gametophyte for nutrition, which is absorbed through the foot (base of the stalk), embedded in the archegonial tissues.

Eusporangia and leptosporangia

Categorized based on developmental sequence, eusporangia and leptosporangia are differentiated in the vascular plants.
  • In a leptosporangium, found only in ferns, development involves a single initial cell that becomes the stalk, wall, and spores within the sporangium. There are around 64 spores in a leptosporangium.
  • In a eusporangium, characteristic of all other vascular plants and some primitive ferns, the initials are in a layer (i.e., more than one). A eusporangium is larger (hence contain more spores), and its wall is multi-layered. Although the wall may be stretched and damaged, resulting in only one cell-layer remaining.


Synangium

A cluster of sporangia that have become fused in development is called a synangium. This structure is most prominent in Psilotum
Psilotum

Psilotum is a genus of fern-like vascular plants, one of two genera in the family Psilotaceae, order Psilotales, and class Psilotopsida ....
 and Marattiaceae such as Christensenia
Christensenia

Christensenia is a genus of ferns in the botany family Marattiaceae.Christensenia is unique in the Marattiaceae, because of its reticulate venation, palmately arranged leaves and radial synangia....
, Danaea
Danaea

Danaea Sm. is a fern genus of approximately 50 species in the eusporangiate fern family Marattiaceae.they are small to intermediately large ferns with erect or creeping rhizomes and usually once pinnate leaves with opposite pinnae....
 and Marattia.

See also

  • archegonium
    Archegonium

    An archegonium , from the ancient Greek ???? and ????? , is a multicellular structure or organ of the gametophyte phase of certain plants producing and containing the ovum or female gamete....
  • antheridium
    Antheridium

    An antheridium is a haploid structure or organ producing and containing male gametes . It is present in the gametophyte phase of lower plants like mosses and ferns, and also in the primitive vascular Psilotophyta....
  • For bacteria-related information see endospore
    Endospore

    An endospore is a dormancy, tough, and non-reproductive structure produced by bacteria from the Firmicute phylum. Examples include Bacillus and Clostridium....