On the underside of a fern frond are the sori. The sori are the site of spore production and release.

















When a spore lands in a suitable location it germinates and grows into a prothallus. The gametophyte generation has begun!

The prothallus contains archegonia (egg producer) and antheridia (sperm producer) The sperm from one prothallus must swim to the egg of another prothallus.

When fertilization occurs, a zygote forms and begins to grow into a new baby fern .(A). The sporophyte generation has begun!




















The baby fern develops fronds which unfurl from fiddle heads. The new fronds may now begin to form sori.

Here are two animations to help with the vocabulary and sequencing of a plant life cycle. This first animation is a cartoon showing plant life cycles in moss, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. It highlights what is haploid and what is diploid.

The second animation is a tutorial about the life cycle of a moss.

Reminder that the AP biology practice test is due on Thursday!

The new plant reading guide and 4th quarter calender are available on the website.

Don't forget to bring in one of three items for a bonus point on big quiz. You can bring in items on Tuesday or Wednesday. Good luck studying tonight!