FACTOID # 174: One in three Italian babies is born by caesarean section.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RELATED ARTICLES
People who viewed "Sporangia" also viewed:
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

FACTS & STATISTICS    Simple view

  1. Select countries to view: (hold down Control key and click to select several)

     

     

    Compare:

     

     

  1. Select fact or statistic: (* = graphable)

     

     

     

  2. (OPTIONAL) Compare to statistic: (both need to be graphable)

     

     

     

  3. View result as:

     

       
(OR) SEARCH ALL encyclopedia, stats & forums:   

Encyclopedia > Sporangia

A sporangium (pl., sporangia) is a plant or fungal structure producing and containing spores or gametes. Sporangia occur on angiosperms, gymnosperms, ferns, fern allies, mosses, algae, and fungi.


Microsporangia are the structures on the stamens of flowers called anthers, and the pollen-producing structures on the microsporophylls of male conifer cones.


Megasporangia are the comparable "female" structures on these plants, associated with the flower carpel and the megasporangial cone.


On ferns, the mature plant is a sporophyte that develops sporangia—tiny, stalked sacs which contain meiospores—on all or just certain leaves (called sporophylls if sporangia are present).


In mosses, the little case that rises above the vegetative growth on a thin stalk is called a capsule or sporangium and, as in ferns, produces meiospores. This sporophyte (diploid) growth arises out of the haploid archegonium after the ovum is fertilized. The sporophyte initially has some chlorophyll, but later turns brown and becomes dependent upon the gametophyte for nutrition, which is absorbed through the foot (base of the stalk), embeded in the archegonial tissues.


Categorized based on developmental sequence, eusporangia and leptosporangia are differentiated in the vascular plants. In a leptosporangium, found only in ferns, development involves a single initial cell that becomes the stalk, wall, and spores within the sporangium. There are around 64 spores in a leptosporangium. In a eusporangium, characteristic of all other vascular plants, the initials are in a layer (i.e., more than one). A eusporangium is larger (hence contain more spores), and its wall is multi-layered. Although the wall may be stretched and damaged, resulting in only one cell-layer remaining.


A cluster of sporangia that have become fused in development is called a synangium.


  Results from FactBites:
 
Sporangia - definition of Sporangia in Encyclopedia (303 words)
A sporangium (pl., sporangia) is a plant or fungal structure producing and containing spores or gametes.
Sporangia occur on angiosperms, gymnosperms, ferns, fern allies, mosses, algae, and fungi.
In mosses, the little case that rises above the vegetative growth on a thin stalk is called a capsule or sporangium and, as in ferns, produces meiospores.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.