Title: Reproductive Development and Structure | Biology for Majors II
Headings: Reproductive Development and Structure
Reproductive Development and Structure
Discuss the reproductive development and structure of plants
Learning Objectives
Stages of a Plant’s Life Cycle
Flower Structure
Practice Question
Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms
Male Gametophyte: The Pollen Grain
Female Gametophyte: The Embryo Sac
Practice Question
Sexual Reproduction in Gymnosperms
Male Gametophyte
Female Gametophyte
Reproductive Process
Angiosperms versus Gymnosperms
Check Your Understanding

Content: The new gametophyte produces gametes, and the cycle continues. This is the alternation of generations, and is typical of plant reproduction (Figure 2). Figure 2. The alternation of generations in angiosperms is depicted in this diagram. ( credit: modification of work by Peter Coxhead)
The life cycle of higher plants is dominated by the sporophyte stage, with the gametophyte borne on the sporophyte. In ferns, the gametophyte is free-living and very distinct in structure from the diploid sporophyte. In bryophytes, such as mosses, the haploid gametophyte is more developed than the sporophyte. During the vegetative phase of growth, plants increase in size and produce a shoot system and a root system. As they enter the reproductive phase, some of the branches start to bear flowers.