Question
Discuss the alternation of generation with examples.
Answer
Alternation of generations is a type of life cycle found in some plants and algae in which there are two distinct multicellular stages, a haploid gametophyte stage and a diploid sporophyte stage, that alternate with each other.
One example of alternation of generations is found in the life cycle of mosses. The gametophyte stage of the moss is the dominant stage, and it produces haploid gametes (eggs and sperm) that fuse to form a diploid zygote. The zygote develops into the sporophyte stage, which is dependent on the gametophyte for nutrition. The sporophyte produces spores through meiosis, which are released and develop into new gametophytes, completing the life cycle.
