Why are gymnosperms "naked seed" plants?

Gymnosperms reproduce by means of an exposed seed or ovule. The seeds of many gymnosperms are borne in cones and are not visible till maturity.

Gymnosperms seeds often develope either on the surface of scales or leaves. These are often modified to form cones , or at the end of short stalks.

Gymnosperms have two spore types
Micro spores : produced by pollen cones.
Mega spores : produced by ovulate cones.

Gymnosperms are termed "naked seed" plants because their seeds are not enclosed within an ovary or fruit structure. Instead, they are exposed on the surface of specialized leaf-like structures called cones or strobili. This contrasts with angiosperms, where seeds are enclosed within an ovary and develop within a fruit. The term "gymnosperm" originates from the Greek words "gymno," meaning naked, and "sperma," meaning seed, reflecting this characteristic of their reproductive structures.