Seedless vascular plants produce spores that grow into _____.
sporophytes
mosses
gametophytes
nonvascular plants
sporophytes
.
Which statement describes ferns?
Fern leaves grow outward from exposed stems.
Ferns have fronds, and their stems grow underground.
Ferns have fronds that represent the gametophyte stage.
Fern fronds produce seeds that drop off and grow.
Ferns have fronds, and their stems grow underground.
The correct answer is sporophytes.
To arrive at this answer, we need to understand the life cycle of seedless vascular plants. Seedless vascular plants, also known as ferns and horsetails, undergo an alternation of generations, consisting of two distinct stages: the sporophyte and the gametophyte.
The sporophyte is the dominant phase in the life cycle of seedless vascular plants. It is the larger, more conspicuous and long-lived stage. This is the stage that produces spores through meiosis. Spores are single-celled structures that are dispersed into the environment.
The spores, when they land in a suitable environment, grow into tiny, independent structures called gametophytes. Gametophytes are the sexual reproductive stage of seedless vascular plants. They are typically small and short-lived. Gametophytes produce male and female gametes, which are specialized reproductive cells.
When the male and female gametes of the gametophyte combine through fertilization, they form a zygote. The zygote develops into a new sporophyte, completing the life cycle. Hence, the spores produced by seedless vascular plants grow into sporophytes.