Life Cycle Patterns

Life Cycle Patterns 

We’ll take a look at the basics of life cycles. We will NOT focus on gametic life cycles 

as these are primarily for animals (Bio 1B with John!). We’ll look at Fungus (zygotic 

life cycle), Algae, Moss, Fern, Flowering Plant (including asexual) (sporic life cycles) 

1. First some basics: Fertilization, Mitosis and Meiosis 

Fertilization (syngamy) is the fusion of two haploid gametes (the sperm and the egg) to 

form a diploid (2n) zygote. This is how the chromosome number in a life cycle changes 

from haploid (n) to diploid (2n). The biflagellate sperm in the above illustration is 

characteristic of a moss. Human sperm have a single flagellum. 

Mitosis is the division of a haploid (n) or diploid (2n) cell into two duplicate daughter 

cells. In a strict definition, mitosis (karyokinesis) refers to the division of a nucleus into 

two duplicate nuclei, each with identical sets of chromosomes. Cytoplasmic division or 

cytokinesis involves a cleavage furrow in animal cells and a cell plate in plant cells. An 

example of cell division in haploid cells is the male honey bee (drone bee) which 

develops from a haploid unfertilized egg.

Meiosis is a special kind of cell division in which the chromosome number is reduced in 

half. This is how the chromosome number in a life cycle changes from diploid (2n) to 

haploid (n). In humans, the only cells that undergo meiosis are egg mother cells (oöcytes) 

in the ovaries and sperm mother cells (spermatocytes) in the testes. Egg formation and 

sperm formation are referred to as oögenesis and spermatogenesis. In flowering plants, 

meiosis occurs in megaspore mother cells (megasporocytes) within the ovules of ovaries, 

and in microspore mother cells (microsporocytes) within the anthers of stamens. In the 

first division (blue cells in above illustration), the homologous chromosome doublets 

separate from each other so they are no longer in pairs. In the second and final division 

the chromatids of each doubled chromosome separate from each other forming the 

haploid gametes. During the first and second divisions of meiosis nondisjunction can 

occur, as shown in the following illustration. 

In normal spermatogenesis, X-bearing and Y-bearing sperm are produced. If an X- 

bearing sperm unites with an X-bearing egg, the resulting zygote is female (XX). If a Y- 

bearing sperm unites with an X-bearing egg, the resulting zygote is male (XY). 

Sometimes the X and Y chromosomes do not separate properly during the first division 

(Anaphase I) or the second division (Anaphase II) during spermatogenesis, a 

phenomenon known as nondisjunction. Nondisjunction may result in sperm that carry an 

extra X or an extra Y chromosome, such as XX-bearing sperm, XY-bearing sperm and 

YY-bearing sperm. If these sperm unite with an X-bearing egg, the result could be XXX 

(triple-X syndrome), XXY (Klinefelter's syndrome) or XYY (XYY-syndrome). This is 

also one way that polyploidy is achieved in plants – not an uncommon phenomenon. 

2. Three major kinds of life cycles: Gametic, zygotic, and sporic

A. Gametic: Animals. Only one multicellular stage: diploid (2n) 

B. Zygotic: most Fungi. Often a dominant, multicellular haploid stage (n), transitory 

diploid stage (2n) 

C. Sporic: Alternation of generations: both haploid (n) and diploid (2n) are multicellular. 

Which one is dominant depends on the organism.

3. Examples of zygotic and sporic life cycles: 

A. Zygotic: An example of a generic fungal life cycle (zygotic): note the short single 

celled diploid stage and the more complex multicellular haploid stage. In some shrooms 

the diploid stage has never been seen!

B. Some variations on the sporic life cycle, and some we will be studying: 

Algae Life cycle (isomorphic alternation of generations): 

Algal Life cycle: heteromorphic alternation of generations

Note: In The Following Life Cycles, Everything Above The Red Line 

Is Diploid (2n) And Everything Below The Red Line Is Haploid (n) 

Moss Life Cycle: Dominant gametophyte, dependent sporophyte 

Moss Life Cycle. Mosses belong to the Division Bryophyta characterized by nonvascular 

plants with embryos that develop within multicellular female sex organs called 

archegonia. The dominant (conspicuous) part of the life cycle is the haploid, leafy 

gametophyte. The diploid sporophyte consists of a sporangium-bearing stalk that grows 

directly out of the gametophyte. Spore mother cells within the sporangium undergo 

meiosis, producing numerous haploid spores that fall to the ground like tiny particles of 

dust. Since the sporophyte is without chlorophyll, it is completely dependent on the 

autotrophic (photosynthetic) gametophyte for its water, minerals and carbohydrate 

nutrition. Consequently, the sporophyte of the moss is heterotrophic and parasitic on the 

gametophyte. Most moss gametophytes are dioecious, with separate male and female

individuals in the population. The gametophytes are produced by "male" and "female" 

spores. Mosses have a primitive method of fertilization that involves a motile, biflagellate 

sperm that swims through water to reach the egg on female plants. 

Some lichens superficially resemble mosses from a distance, particularly fruticose 

(branched) lichens growing on the branches and trunks of trees. Lichens are essentially 

fungi containing symbiotic algal cells. The photosynthetic algae provide carbohydrate 

nutrition for the fungus, while the fungus provides a protective place for the algal cells to 

thrive in an otherwise hostile environment. Because the relationship or "marriage" is 

beneficial to both partners, this particular example of symbiosis is classified as 

mutualism. 

Fern Life Cycle: dominant sporophyte: 

Fern Life Cycle. Ferns belong to the Division Pterophyta characterized by vascular plants 

with leaves (fronds) arising from subterranean, creeping rhizomes. In tree ferns, the 

leaves are produced on a definite woody trunk. The dominant (conspicuous) part of the 

life cycle is the diploid, leaf-bearing sporophyte. On the underside of the leaves are rows 

of brown sori. Each sorus is composed of a cluster of sporangia, and is often covered by a

thin outer layer called the indusium. Some ferns such as Polypodium and Cyrtomium do 

not have the indusium. Ferns are classified by the arrangement of the sori and shape of 

the indusium. The sori and indusium superficially resemble an infestation of scale insects, 

and some people actually spray their ferns! Spore mother cells within the sporangium 

undergo meiosis, producing numerous haploid spores. The sporangia split open at 

maturity, releasing millions of spores that fall to the ground like tiny particles of dust. 

The splitting open of a sporangium is caused by a thick-walled, outer belt of cells called 

the annulus. As the cells of the annulus dry out, the annulus contracts and rips open the 

sporangial wall, thus dispersing the spores. 

Each spore germinates and grows into a heart-shaped gametohyte (prothallus) which is 

smaller than your little finger nail. This haploid gametophyte bears male and female sex 

organs (antheridia and archegonia). With respect to populations of gametophytes, ferns 

are typically monoecious with both male and female sex organs on the same 

gametophytes. Unlike the unisexual gametophytes of a moss, a fern gametophyte is 

bisexual. Like mosses, ferns have a primitive method of fertilization that involves a 

multiciliate sperm that swims through water to reach the egg. The gametophytes and 

sporophytes of ferns are photosynthetic and autotrophic. 

Flowering Plant Life Cycle

Flowering Plant Cycle. Flowering plants (angiosperms) belong to the vascular plant 

division Anthophyta. Like ferns, the diploid sporophyte consists of a herbaceous or 

woody plant with roots, stems and leaves. Unlike ferns, flowering plants produce 

reproductive organs called flowers and seed-bearing fruits. The term angiosperm is 

derived from angio (vessel) and sperm (seed), referring to the seed-bearing vessels 

(containers) called fruits. Flowers may be unisexual or bisexual, depending on whether 

they contain only one type of sex organ (the male stamen or female pistil), or whether 

they contain both stamens and pistil in the same flower. Species with separate male and 

female flowers on the same plant are termed monoecious, including oaks (Quercus), alder 

(Alnus) and walnut (Juglans). Species with separate male and female flowers on separate 

individuals are termed dioecious, including willows (Salix), cottonwoods (Populus), date 

palms (Phoenix), some figs (Ficus) and marijuana (Cannabis). The following illustration 

shows a typical bisexual flower: 

The general evolutionary trend is a gradual increase in the diploid sporophyte phase and 

a decrease in the gametophyte phase. In the moss, the diploid phase consists of a 

sporangium and stalk that grows out of the haploid female gametophyte. In the fern and 

flowering plant, the entire leaf-bearing plant is diploid. The haploid gametophye of a fern 

is reduced to a small, heart-shaped prothallus. In flowering plants, the haploid 

gametophyte is greatly reduced and consists of two microscopic structures: A sevencelled, 

eight-nucleate embryo sac containing the egg and endosperm mother cell, and a 

pollen grain plus pollen tube containing 3 nuclei, two of which are the sperm which 

penetrate the embryo sac during fertilization. 

Asexual reproduction: 

Many species of plants reproduce asexually without gametes. They simply clone 

themselves by the formation of bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes, runners, turions, plantlets 

and "pups." In the duckweed family (Lemnaceae) daughter plants are produced 

vegetatively in budding pouches. Each "mother plant" produces up to a dozen daughter 

plants during its lifetime of 1-2 (or more) months. The daughter plants repeat the budding 

history of their clonal parents, resulting in exponential growth. It has been estimated that 

the Indian Wolffia microscopica may reproduce asexually by budding every 30 hours 

under optimal growing conditions. At the end of 4 months this would result in about 1 

nonillion plants (1 followed by 30 zeros) occupying a total volume roughly equivalent to 

the planet earth. Some of these methods are discussed under vegetative terminology at the 

following links:

Life Cycle Patterns

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