Question

Is a pine tree a sporophyte or gametophyte?

Answer 1

Plant life cycle and alteration of generation:

1. In plants, both haploid and diploid cells can divide by mitosis which leads to the formation of different plant bodies - haploid and diploid.
2. The haploid plant body produces gametes by mitosis represented by a gametophyte.
3. After fertilization, the zygote also divides by mitosis resulting in a diploid sporophytic plant body that produces haploid spores by meiosis.
4. Therefore, during the life cycle of a sexually reproducing plant, there is an alternation of generations between gamete-producing haploid gametophyte and spore-producing diploid sporophyte.
5. Pine or Pinus is a gymnosperm i.e. flower-bearing plants represent the pattern where diploid sporophyte is the dominant, photosynthetic, independent phase of the plant.