Difference Between Sporophyte and Gametophyte

Gametophytes

Gameto and Phyte, respectively, are words that refer to gametes and plants. Gametes are produced by plants using their sex organs. When a plant reaches the stage of its life cycle where it owns the haploid cells, it is said to be a gametophyte. These cells have a collection of chromosomes (n) that aid in the transport of genetic material. Plants use their sex organs to help them create gametes. This is a process that all plants, including bryophytes, angiosperms, gymnosperms, algae, etc. go through. For instance, inside of its body, algae produces straightforward, non-motile gametes. Through conjugation, spirogyra make gametes within their own bodies and transfer those gametes to other spirogyra.

For instance, plants like algae generate simple, non-motile gametes inside of their bodies, but plants like spirogyra manufacture their gametes within of their bodies but transmit them to another spirogyra through conjugation. Antheridia and archegonia are the names of the sex organs that plants like Bryophytes use to produce gametes. Similar to this, archegonia are found in plants including gymnosperms and pteridophytes, and they develop in a variety of ways. Angiosperms create gametes in response to the formation of pollen grains. So, gametophyte production occurs in the majority of these plants.

Sporophytes

Phyte and Sporo refer to plants and spores, respectively. Spores are produced by gymnosperms, angiosperms, bryophytes, and algae. The male parent’s chromosomes make up one set of their diploid cells’ two sets of chromosomes (2n), while the female parent’s chromosomes make up the other set. A spore is a very little structure that can grow into a new plant. Meiotic and mitotic spores are the two main types of spores. The two types of cell divisions that aid in spore development are meiosis and mitosis.

Spores are produced by bryophytes, angiosperms, gymnosperms, and algae. A spore is a microscopic object that, following germination, produces a new plant. There are two different types of spores: meiotic and mitotic spores. These spores are produced as a result of the cell division processes known as meiosis and mitosis. Asexual mitotic spores and sexual meiotic spores are both types of spores.

Both types of spores can be produced by sporophytes; Chlamydomonas and algae are simple organisms that produce asexual spores during mitosis. Bryophytes develop from meiotic or sexual spores, homosporous pteridophytes produce spores of the same size from spore mother cells, and heterosporous pteridophytes produce megaspores and microspores of varying sizes from megasporangia and microsporangia, respectively. From their spores, heterosporous gymnosperms and angiosperms are produced.

Differences between Sporophyte and Gametophyte

• The main differentiation point between sporophyte and gametophyte is that the sporophyte is a diploid structure that participates in asexual plant reproduction, whereas the gametophyte is a haploid structure which participates in sexual reproduction.
• Due to the formation of the zygote, the sporophyte represents the diploid phase (2N), whereas the gametophyte represents the haploid phase (N), as a result of the occurrence of meiosis.
• The first cell in a sporophyte generation is the diploid zygote, and the first cell in a gametophyte generation is the haploid spore.
• The sporophyte stage grows on the gametophyte stage in Bryophytes, Psilophytes, and Lycophytes where the gametophyte stage is larger and more dominant.
• The sporophyte phase is considerably larger and more dominant in angiosperms and gymnosperms, while the gametophyte phase is smaller.
• The sporophyte generation is represented by the asexual phase, and the gametophyte generation is represented by the sexual phase.

Difference	Gametophyte	Sporophyte
Definition	The haploid stage of plants is known as the gametophyte. It creates the zygote that gives rise to the sporophyte as well as gametes.	The diploid stage of plants is called the sporophyte. The gametophyte develops from the spores that it produces.
In Bryophytes	The primary independent plant body is the gametophyte.	The gametophyte is necessary for the sporophyte.
In Pteridophytes and Higher Plants	A reduced number of gametophyte is present.	Sporophyte has the dominant position.
Ploidy	The gametophyte is haploid.	The sporophyte is diploid.
Development	A meiospore’s germination results in the development of the gametophyte.	The sporophyte grows from the zygote.
Chromosomes	A single set of chromosomes is present in Gametophyte	Two sets of chromosomes are present in sporophytes.
Reproduction	Gametophytes reproduce sexually	Sporophytes reproduce asexually
Production	Meiosis produces the gametophyte.	Mitosis produces the Sporophyte.
Products	Male and female gametes are produced by the gametophyte.	Microspores and megaspores are produced by the Sporophyte.
Sex Organs	Gametangia (archegonia and antheridia).	Sporangia

Importance of Sporophyte and Gametophyte in plant evolution

While the gametophyte stage is sexual, the sporophyte stage is asexual. The haploid spore is the first cell in the gametophyte stage, whereas the diploid zygote is the first cell in a sporophyte generation. Haploid spores are produced during the sporophyte phase, while diploid male and female gametes are produced during the gametophyte phase. In terms of dominance, the gametophyte stage, which is more common, is the larger and more recognizable form of the plant in liverworts and mosses, while the sporophyte stage, which is smaller, is seen growing on the gametophyte stage. In angiosperms, the gametophyte phase is small and reduced to a pollen grain and an eight-celled female gametophyte found inside the ovule, whereas the sporophyte phase is  larger and more independent phase.

In plants, this generational alternation is very important since it improves the plant’s chances of long-term survival. The following generation becomes even more environment-adaptive. Genes are shuffled when spores are produced from parent cells, which leads to stronger, newer genetic makeups. The zygote generated is then better adapted to the environment during the gametophyte stage, when gametes are formed without reduced division. Therefore, these two generations represent genuinely important stages in a plant’s life cycle.

Plants with different Sporophyte and Gametophyte Structures

Some female gametophyte tissue, like that seen in pine nuts, is present in the cones of gymnosperms like conifers. The diploid sporophyte embryo is present in those nuts. The wind disperses pollen, which is the male conifer gametophyte. Female gametophytes for flowering plants, such as fruit trees and flowers, have a small number of cells and are found inside the flower’s ovary. Male gametophytes only exist as pollen. Vascular plants’ small gametophytes have a short lifespan.

Bryophytes, which are non-vascular plants that include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, exhibit distinct gametophytic and sporophytic traits. The oldest terrestrial plants on the globe, dating back more than 400 million years, are bryophytes. They need moister environments in order to successfully reproduce. Their sporophytes don’t appear to be in control. However, instead of the diploid sporophyte, their gametophyte development is visible, photosynthetic portion of the plant (like green moss) that clings to substrate via rhizoids. In reality, their sporophytes live shorter lives than those of vascular plants. Inside the flask-like archegonium, the sporophyte develops from a fertilized egg and joins the gametophyte with a penetrating foot. The gametophyte provides food for the sporophyte. The sporophyte develops a single sporangium and a very short stalk called a seta. This developing sporophyte has a calyptra around it as protection. Wind-borne single-celled spores can only germinate in a damp environment since water is needed for fertilization. Then they develop a fresh gametophyte plant, which intensifies the sporophyte cycle by producing additional spores.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Question 1: What is meant when gametophyte is said to depend on a sporophyte?

Answer: 

Because only the gametophyte is capable of photosynthesis, the sporophyte structure is reliant on the gametophyte for nutrition. The green, leafy, or moss-like vegetation at the plant’s base makes up the gametophyte generation in these species.

Question 2: State the difference between gametophytes and sporophytes?

Answer: 

The sexual and asexual phases of the plant life cycle are represented, respectively, by the gametophyte and sporophyte. The fundamental difference between a gametophyte and a sporophyte is that the former is a haploid and is produced through meiosis, whereas the latter is a diploid and is produced through mitosis.

Question 3: What number of chromosomal sets do sporophytes and gametophytes have?

Answer: 

Sporophytes have two sets of chromosomes, making them diploid. On the other hand, haploid gametophytes have a single set of chromosomes. The key distinction between sporophyte and gametophyte is this one.

Question 4: What kinds of plants exhibit sporophyte dominance?

Answer: 

A multicellular diploid seen in algae and flowers that undergo the alternation of generations is called a sporophyte. It creates haploid spores, which later develop into a gametophyte. After producing gametes, the gametophyte immediately transforms into a sporophyte. The sporophyte generation is the dominant generation in many plant species. These plants are the major sporophyte species.

Question 5: What is Gametophyte?

Answer: 

The sexual phase (or an organism representing the phase) in the cycle of generations is a phenomenon in which two separate phases occur in the life history of the organism, one creating the other is known as a gametophyte in plants and some algae.

Question 6: What is Sporophyte?

Answer: 

Plants that produce spores are referred to as sporophytes. The spore-producing stage of a plant’s life cycle is referred to as the sporophyte. Plants reproduce sexually and asexually in two stages. The alternation of generation separates these two phases into the sporophyte and gametophyte through the processes of meiosis and fertilization.