How do the two alternating generations of the plant life cycle differ?

Question

Madeline Andrews · Accepted Answer

Plants have two alternating generations in their life cycle:sporophyte and gametophyte.

They differ as follows. Sporophyte generation is dominant, spore producing generation that produces spores by meiosis. Gametophyte generation is not the dominant generation, it is gamete producing and it produces gametes by mitosis.

Piper Anderson · Answer

undefined The two alternating generations of the plant life cycle, known as the alternation of generations, differ in their ploidy levels and the types of structures they produce. The generations are the sporophyte and the gametophyte. The sporophyte generation is diploid, meaning it has two sets of chromosomes, while the gametophyte generation is haploid, meaning it has one set of chromosomes. Sporophytes produce haploid spores through meiosis, which develop into gametophytes. Gametophytes, in turn, produce gametes (sperm and eggs) through mitosis, which fuse during fertilization to form a diploid zygote, restarting the cycle. In summary, the sporophyte generation produces spores, while the gametophyte generation produces gametes.