Ferns are leafy vascular plants. Although they have veins that allow water and nutrients to flow like conifers and flowering plants, their life cycles are very different. Conifers and flowering plants evolved to survive in harsh, dry environments, while ferns need water for sexual reproduction.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="2" > basic fern anatomy</h1>
As shown in the image above: ferns have neither seeds nor flowers, and they use spores to reproduce.
In order to understand the reproduction of ferns, it is helpful to understand the various parts of ferns. Compound leaves are multi-leaf "branches" made up of leaflets called pinnacles. Underneath some of the pinnae are spots that contain spores. Not all compound leaves and pinnae have spores. Compound leaves with this substance are called fertile compound leaves.
A spore is a tiny structure that contains the genetic material needed to grow new ferns. They may be green, yellow, black, brown, orange, or red.
Sporangia are encased in a sporangia structure, which sometimes gather together to form sporangia (plural sporangia). In some ferns, sporangia are protected by a membrane called sporangia. In other ferns, sporangia are exposed to air.
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="7" > generation alternate</h1>
As shown in the image above: ferns alternate generations during their life cycle.
The life cycle of ferns requires two generations of plants to complete, which is called generational rotation.
A generation is diploid, which means it carries two identical sets of chromosomes or complete genetic complements (like human cells) in each cell. Leaf ferns with spores are part of diploids called spores.
The spores of ferns do not grow into leafy sporozoites. They are not like the seeds of flowering plants. Instead, they produced the haploid generation. In haploid plants, each cell contains a set of chromosomes or half of the genetic complement (like a human sperm or egg cell). This plant looks like a small heart-shaped plant. It is called protophyllum or gametophyte.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="13" > details of the life cycle of ferns</h1>
As shown in the image above: The protophylls (red) have tiny leaflets and fibrous rhizomes. Once the egg is fertilized, recognizable ferns will grow from this structure. The protophyll is haploid and the sporangium is diploid.
Starting with the "ferns" (sporophytes) we know, its life cycle follows the following steps:
Step 1: Diploid spores produce haploid spores through meiosis, the same process by which animals and flowering plants produce eggs and sperm.
Step 2: Each spore grows into a photosynthetic prophyllophyllum (gametophyte) by mitosis. Since mitosis maintains the number of chromosomes, every cell in the protophyll is haploid. This plant is much smaller than spore ferns.
Step 3: Each protophyllate produces gametes through mitosis. Meiosis is not needed because the cells are already haploid. Usually, protophylls produce both sperm and eggs on the same plant. The sporophytes consist of leaves and rhizomes, and the gametophytes consist of leaflets and rhizomes. In the gametogene, sperm are produced in a structure called spermatozoa, and eggs are produced in a similar structure called the cervical egg organ.
Step 4: When there is water, the sperm uses the flagella to swim towards the egg and fertilize it.
Step 5: The fertilized egg is still attached to the protophyll. An egg is a diploid fertilized egg formed by the dna of the egg and the sperm. Zygotes develop into diploid spores through mitosis, completing the life cycle.
Before scientists learned about genetics, the reproduction of ferns was confusing. It looks as if adult ferns grow from spores. In a sense, this is true, but small plants that grow out of spores are genetically different from adult ferns.
Sperm and eggs may arise from the same gametophyte, so ferns may also undergo autoforgetion. The advantage of autogenization is that there are fewer spores wasted, no external gamete carrier is required, and organisms adapting to their environment can maintain their properties. When cross-fertilization occurs, it has the advantage of being able to introduce new traits into the species.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="27" > other ways for ferns to reproduce</h1>
As shown in the image above: This antlered fern asexually breeds another fern.
The "life cycle" of ferns refers to sexual reproduction. However, ferns also use asexual propagation methods.
In gametophyte reproduction, the sporophytes grow into gametocetes without sperm. When the environment is too dry to allow fertilization, ferns use this method of reproduction.
Ferns can produce small ferns at the tip of the hypertrophic leaves. When a small fern grows, its weight causes the leaves to droop to the ground. Once a young fern has taken root, it can survive off the mother. The proliferating young plant is genetically identical to its parents. Ferns use this method to multiply rapidly.
Rhizomes (root-like fibrous structures) can diffuse through the soil to germinate new ferns. Ferns that grow from rhizomes are also the same as their parents. This is another method of quick copying.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="35" > the fact that ferns grow rapidly</h1>
fern
Ferns reproduce sexually and asexually.
In sexual reproduction, haploid spores grow into haploid gametophytes. If there is enough water, the gametophytes fertilize and grow into diploid spores. Sporophytes produce spores that complete the life cycle.
Asexual reproduction methods include mateless reproduction, spore leaf tips, and rhizome unfolding.