This document summarizes key characteristics of seedless plants, including their alternation of generations life cycle and reproduction processes. It discusses nonvascular plants like mosses which have separate male and female gametophytes and how seedless vascular plants like ferns are adapted to land with vascular tissue and windblown spores. The fern life cycle is specifically outlined, noting terms like prothallus, sporangia, sorus, and fronds.

1. Seedless Plants
• Eukaryotic
• Photosynthetic
• Adapted to land:
– Waxy cuticle: prevents water loss
– Vascular tissue: transports water and nutrients
• Reproduction still requires water (no seeds)

2. Alternation of Generations
• Sporophyte: Diploid
– Produces haploid spores through
meiosis
• Gametophyte: haploid
– Produces sperm and egg
(from spores) through mitosis
• Sperm and egg join in fertilization
creating new sporophyte
• Length of time sporophyte verses
gametophyte
varies by plant
– Can be equal

3. Nonvascular Plants
• Mosses (Bryophyta) and liverworts
• Observe prepared slides of gametophyte and
sporophyte
• Also view live moss specimen
• No liverwort specimens
• Separate male and female gametophytes
– Male antheridia produces sperm
– Female archegonia produces egg

5. Seedless Vascular Plants
• Club mosses, wisk ferns, horsetails, ferns
• Sporophyte dominant
• Adapted to living on land
– Vascular tissue
– Windblown spores
• Just fern (Pterophyta) examples today
– Very diverse group
– Look at preserved slides and specimens

6. Fern Life Cycle

7. Fern terms
• Prothallus: gametophyte, small
and heart shaped
• Sporangia: spore producing
structure
• Sorus: cluster of sporangia
– Typically on bottom of leaf
• Fronds: fern leaves
– Leaves are megaphylls with vascular
tissue