female gametophyte
Ovule's cellular core
The female gametophyte is the egg-producing stage in a plant's life cycle.
In flowering plants, it develops within the ovule and is called the embryo sac, containing the egg cell that fuses with pollen to form a seed.
In ferns and mosses, the female gametophyte is a separate, often heart-shaped structure.
The term distinguishes it from the male gametophyte, which produces sperm.
- ovuleUnfertilized seed structure
- egg cellFemale reproductive unit
- megasporeLarge spore, female gametophyte
- antipodalDirectly opposite geographically
- double fertilizationTwo simultaneous plant fusions
fertilization · seed · plant reproduction · angiosperm · flowering plant · gymnosperm · moss · fern · alternation · haploid · nucleus · pollination · endosperm · zygote · carpel · pistil · ovary · integument
- gametophytespollen grain
- ovule anatomyovule, integument, chalaza, megaspore, integuments