Pteridophytes

• Ferns are an example of a pteridophyt.
• Spores are produced by the fern and are released in dry conditions.
• These spores land on a bit of ground, forming favorable conditions for the sport to germinate.
• The spore germinates in moist conditions to form a prothallus, which is part of the gametophyte plant.
• The gametophyte plant originates or grows from the prothallus, which is made up of both male and female structures.
• The male structure of the process is referred to as the antheridia, and the female structure is referred to as the archegonia.
• In the fern, the male gamete needs to make its way to the female gamete for fertilization to take place.
• The moist conditions that result in the formation of the prothallus are also important for fertilization to take place.
• The sporophyte plant produces spores through a process called meiosis, which is the formation of haploid spores.
• The sporophyte plant has a root-like structure, or root structure, growing out of the notch end of the prothelis, and fiddlehead fronds starting to grow towards the top.
• Water is crucial for the transport of sperm to the ovum.
• These haploid spores will then, as spores, be released into the environment in favorable conditions, particularly dry conditions, to produce the next gametophyte plant.
• The fusion of two nuclei requires the presence of sperm, which is necessary for the transport of sperm to the ovum.
• During the process of fertilization, the prothelis disintegrates to provide resources to the new sporophyte plant that starts to grow after fertilization has taken place.
• The fusion of two nuclei results in a new plant, the sporophyte, which starts to grow out of the gametophyte plant.
• The prothelus will disintegrate completely after fertilization, leaving only the sporophyte plant.
• The gametophyte generation of this plant in its reproductive cycle is divided from the sporophyte generation.