This document discusses sporophyte plants like ferns and mosses. It describes ferns as vascular seedless plants that reproduce through spores and have a life cycle of alternation of generations between a sporophyte and gametophyte stage. Mosses are described as nonvascular plants that reproduce sexually through the union of male and female sex cells or asexually through spores. Both ferns and mosses play various ecological roles and have some economic uses.

1. SPORE-BEARING PLANTS

2. - Plants that reproduce by bearing spores.
- They are called as sporophytes.
- Ex:
- Mosses
- Ferns

4. FERNS
• vascular seedless plants. Approximately 15,000 species grow in mountains, deserts
or open fields, and even near bodies of water.
• Vascular plants – plants that have tubes running through them, and tubes are
found in the leaves, stems, and roots. Tubes carry sugar, water and minerals through
the plants.
• Rhizomes – stems of sporophyte ferns grow horizontally under the surface of the
ground. Rhizoids (stem) – rootlike structures that absorb water and mineral salts
from the soil.
• Fiddleheads – young unrolling leaves, develop from the stem.
• Nature leaves or fonds – contain sporangia, which are found on the underside.

5. • Sporangia – parts that produce spores
(minute one-celled reproductive bodies
produced by lower forms of plants.
• Sorus (single brown spots)/sori (clusters
of sporangia) – found on the under
surface of a fern frond or leaf.

7. Different kinds of fern

8. Different kinds of fern

9. LIFE CYCLES OF FERN
- Ferns exhibit a life cycle known as alteration of
generations.
- Alteration of generations means there is a stage:
sporophyte (spore formation), and gametophyte
(produces gametes; egg and sperm cells).

10. 1. Sporophyte
- Fern spores split and is carried by the wind
- The spores fall into the soil, and start to
germinate and form prothallus (organs
that produce gametes).
- As prothallus matures gametophyte stage
begins.
2. Gametophyte
- Archegonium (female organ produces
egg cell) and antheridium (male organ
produces sperm cell) grow on the
prothallus
- Flagellate or swimming sperm fertilizes
the egg
- Develops into zygote (fertilized egg)
- Zygote grows into young sporophyte
- Then eventually become a mature
sporophyte with spores

11. USES OF FERN
• Ferns provides oxygen to
humans and animals
• Decorations in making
bouquets and wreaths
• Medical purposes, paste
formed their rhizomes heals
wounds and boils; fronds used
as antifungal agents and can be
used to treat asthma.

13. MOSSES
• nonvascular, small, soft plants
• Water soaks in them and moves from one cell to another to pass food
through the plants.
• They grow in moist, shady places or near springs and waterfalls, where rocks
are wet, often cling to trees but never depend on them, and grows naturally
in gardens and landscapes.
• NO true roots, stems, and leaves, DO NOT produce seeds. They have group
of cells that grow into the ground and absorb water and nutrients.
• Green part carry out PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

14. LIFE CYCLES OF MOSSES
- includes both sexual (involves the union of male and female sex cells) and asexual
reproduction (involves only one parent in the production of spores).

15. 1. Moss gametophyte produces
archegonia (produces egg cell)
and antheridia (produces sperm
cells)
2. Sperm cells swim in the water to
the archegonia for fertilization, and
eventually formed a zygote.
3. Zygote becomes sporophyte (with
capsule produces spores)
4. As the spores mature, the capsule
opens and is carried by the wind
5. As the spore reaches a moist
places, it will grow, divide and
grows again into new
gametophyte
6. Cycle continuous.

17. USES OF MOSSES
• Protects other plants from soil
erosion caused by rushing
waters on rainy days
• Ornamental plants that beautify
the garden
• Making bouquets or in florist
trade (add beauty in flower
arrangements and other
decorations)
• Source of oxygen
• When dry, used as fuel (dead
remains consist the peat, when
burned it emits energy like the
coal and wood)
• Packing live plants for shipment
(mosses holds water longer)