Question

What part of the gymnosperm life cycle is the male gametophyte?

Answer 1

Gymnosperm life cycle

1. A mature sporophyte plant develops cones. Male spores transform into male gametophytes inside male cones. Each male gametophyte is made up of a number of cells that are housed inside a pollen grain. Female spores transform into female gametophytes inside female cones. Inside of each ovule, a female gametophyte creates an egg.
2. When pollen is transported from a male to a female cone, pollination takes place. A diploid zygote is created when sperm go from the pollen to the egg to allow fertilization to take place. Within a seed, which originates from the ovule within the female cone, the zygote grows into an embryo.
3. The cycle is repeated if the seed germinates and grows into a mature sporophyte tree.
4. A pollen grain contains only a few cells for each male gametophyte. Inside of each ovule, a female gametophyte creates an egg.
5. Fertilization cannot take place without pollination. Inside seeds, zygotes mature into embryos from which the subsequent sporophyte generation emerges.