Seriously. Flagellated sperm. I laugh every time I read this in my biology book. We are studying the life cycle of moss. The instructor has said twice now that this is important to know for the test. Here is the description in my notes, there is a picture that's supposed to help (it doesn't).
Life cycle of a moss. The gametophytes(n) develop sex organs at their tips: sperm-forming antheridia in the male gametophyte and egg forming archegonia in the female gametophyte. A flagellated sperm released from an antheridium swims through surface water into an archegonium to fertilize an egg. The resultant zygote(2n) grows by mitotic division to become a mature sporophyte. The photosynthetic sporophyte remains attached to the archegonium and obtains some nutrients from the female gametophyte. Meiospores(n) form in the sporangium and are released. Meiosphores germinate to become protonemas, which develop into male or female gametophytes.
Can you see why this is so difficult for me? I truly don't understand half the words. My mind is swimming. So if anyone can explain this to me, you know, put it in laymans terms, that would be great. Then maybe I won't get the giggles about flagellated sperm.
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2 comments:
What, this doesn't make sense to you? I thought this was what they are teaching in kindegarten!
Seriously, good freakin' luck. I'd get the giggles, too!
Boy oh boy, youare taking me on a trip back in time to my college days at Oregon State University (GO BEAVS!!!)
I remember this all too well, as I was a Biology major student.
Yikes. Good luck with that.
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