Question

Question 24

Explain how plants develop between the two alternative generations.

Answer 1

Answer :

All plants undergo a life cycle that takes them through both haploid and diploid generations.

Alternative generations in plants means alternating between sporophytic and gametophytic generations.

In lower plants upto bryophytes dominant generation is gametophyte and from club mosses its sporophytic generation.

A gametophyte is haploid to produce haploid gametes. The gametes fuse to form diploid sporophyte zygote.

Alternation of generation allows for both dynamic and volatile act of sexual reproduction and the steady and consistent act of asexual reproduction.

In lower plants sporophyte will be smaller and mostly dependent on gametophyte. In ferns gametophyte depends on the sporophyte. In gymnosperms and angiosperms both coexist with sporophyte being dominant.

When spores are formed from sporophyte they undergo meiosis and recombination. They grow into haploid gametophyte.