Moss and Fern Life Cycles

Group 1: Seedless, Nonvascular Plants• Live in moist

environments to reproduce

• Grow low to ground to retain moisture (nonvascular)

• Lack true leaves

• Common pioneer species during succession

• Gametophyte most common (dominant)

• Ex: Mosses, liverworts, hornworts

Moss Life Cycle

Haploid gametophytes

1)Moss gametophytes grow near the ground (haploid stage)

2) Through water, sperm from the male gametophyte will swim to the female gametophyte to create a diploid zygote

3) Diploid sporophyte will grow from zygote

4) Sporophyte will create and release haploid spores

.....Diploid sporophyte

eggegg

egg egg

malemale male malefemalefemalefemalefemale

zygotezygo

te

zygote

zygote

5) Haploid spores land and grow into new gametophytes

.

groundHaploid gametophytes

6) The process repeats

Haploid gametophytes

.....sporophyte

eggegg

egg egg

malemale male malefemalefemalefemalefemale

zygotezygo

te

zygote

zygote

Group 2: Seedless, Vascular Plants

• Vascular system allows– Taller growth– Nutrient transportation

• Live in moist environments– swimming sperm

• Gametophyte stage– Male gametophyte:

makes sperm– Female gametophyte:

makes eggs– Sperm swims to fertilize

eggs

• Sporophyte stage– Spores released into air– Spores land and grow into

gametophyte

• Ex: Ferns, Club mosses, Horsetails

Fern Life Cycle

AdultSporophyte

.

...

1) Sporophyte creates and releases haploid spores

ground

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.

.

.

ground

2) Haploid spores land in the soil

ground

3) From the haploid spores, gametophyte grows in the soil

Let’s zoom in

Fern gametophytes are called a prothallus

4) Sperm swim through water from the male parts (antheridium) to the female parts (archegonia)…zygote created

Let’s zoom back out

eggegg

egg

zygote

zygote

zygote

ground

5) Diploid sporophyte grows from the zygote

sporophyte

Fern gametophytes are called a prothallus

6) Fiddle head uncurls….fronds open up

ground

7) Cycle repeats -- Haploid spores created and released

.

.

..

fiddleheadfrond

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.

.

.

ground

2) Haploid spores land in the soil

ground

3) From the haploid spores, gametophyte (called the prothallus) grows in the soil

Let’s zoom in

4) Sperm swim through water from the male antheridium to the female archegonia

Let’s zoom back out

eggegg

egg

zygote

zygote

zygote

ground

5) Diploid sporophyte grows from the zygote

sporophyte

fiddlehead

6) Fiddlehead uncurls….fronds open up.

ground

7) Cycle repeats

.

.

..

Kobe Kuiz1) Why do moss grow so low to the ground?

2) Which stage is the main stage of moss: sporophyte or gametophyte?

3) How do moss reproduce?

4) What is the major difference between moss and ferns?

5) What are the leaves of ferns called?

6) What is needed for moss and ferns to reproduce?

7) Which stage is the main stage of ferns: sporophyte or gametophyte?

8) What stage is created when sperm and egg fuse: sporophyte or gametophyte?

9) Name the gametophytes of ferns.