Gymnosperms

• Cone-bearing plants with naked seeds.
• Sporophyte Gen

  Dominant generation in gymnosperms
• Gymnosperms are NOT THALLUS
• Roots

  • Taproot system
  • Lateral roots
• Stem

  • Woody
• Vascular

  • Present in gymnosperms
• Male cones

  • Bear pollen sacs (male sporangium)
  • Produce pollen grains (male spores)
• Female cones

  • Bear ovules
  • Contain female spores
• Pines have separate male & female cones
• Pollen dispersal

  1. Pollen grains released during spring

  2. Dispersed by the wind

  3. Pollen lands on female cones
• Pollen germination

  1. Pollen grains germinate

  2. Develop a pollen tube
• Germinating pollen

  The male gametophyte
• Female gametophyte

  Develops from one of four female spores within the ovule
• Water is not needed for reproduction in gymnosperms
• Zygote

  The start of the sporophyte generation
• Fertilisation

  Fertilised ovule turns into seeds