Gymnosperms

Dominance in alteration of generations

Sporophyte

Seed adaptation

Dispersal, used to transport and nurture embryos

Ovules in female cones

Ovule (2n) produces female spores (n)

Makes a female gametophyte through mitosis

Egg nuclei retained in cone

Stacked female sporophylls

Pollen from male cones

Produces male spore → male gametophyte with a specialized sperm nuclei

Tiny, released into wind for dispersal

Find an ovule = pollination/fertilization

Seeds

Fertilized ovule, released for dispersal

Consists of:

1) seed coat from parental sporophyte (2n)

2) food supply from female gametophyte (n)

3) embryo (new sporophyte) (2n)

Gymnosperm features

Vascular plants with naked seeds

Sporophylls arranged in cones

Seeds exposed on female sporophylls