Question

What are the possible advantages of having the sex organs on the underside of fern gametophyte?

Answer 1

• Advantages of sex organs on the underside of fern gametophyte;
  

The gametophyte has two sets of reproductive organs on its underside - the male parts called the antheridia, and the female parts called the archegonia. The antheridium contains sperm cells while the archegonium contains egg cells. They are each located on the gametophyte, a little separated from each other. If there is a film of moisture, the sperm cells from the antheridium swim towards the egg cells in the archegonium. This may be on the same gametophyte or an adjacent one.

When the sperm cells find the egg cells, they fuse their genetic material to make a cell with the full adult fern set of genes. This cell is the beginning of the adult fern, located in and protected by the gametophyte structure. As it grows to become the sporophyte, it takes over from the gametophyte and becomes the adult fern.