HOME | DD

Description

At regular intervals depending on species and weather condition, mosses produce small sexual structures known as archegonium (female structure-produces egg cells), or antheridium (male structure-produces sperm cells).

The male plant sometimes has a visible rosette at the shoot tip, which contain a mass of antheridia among protective hairs or surrounded by modified leaves. In many moss plants, a microscope is needed to see the antheridia or archegonia.

When the antheridia are ripe the antherozoids are released, these antherozoids or sperm cells then swim by means of two threadlike tails and are attracted chemically to the archegonium, where fertilisation occurs to form a zygote. The formation of the zygote begins the second phase of the moss life cycle where the zygote develops into a sporophyte (spore-plant).

Description

At regular intervals depending on species and weather condition, mosses produce small sexual structures known as archegonium (female structure-produces egg cells), or antheridium (male structure-produces sperm cells).

The male plant sometimes has a visible rosette at the shoot tip, which contain a mass of antheridia among protective hairs or surrounded by modified leaves. In many moss plants, a microscope is needed to see the antheridia or archegonia.

When the antheridia are ripe the antherozoids are released, these antherozoids or sperm cells then swim by means of two threadlike tails and are attracted chemically to the archegonium, where fertilisation occurs to form a zygote. The formation of the zygote begins the second phase of the moss life cycle where the zygote develops into a sporophyte (spore-plant).