Alternation of generations

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/alternation-of-generations

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the life cycle type?Haplodiplontic life cycle involving two multicellular generations
2. What is the sporophyte generation?Diploid (2n) phase that produces haploid (n) spores via meiosis
3. What are the two main stages in a plant's life cycle?The life cycle has two main stages: the sporophyte, which is diploid and makes spores, and the gametophyte, which is haploid and makes gametes.
4. Why do plants produce spores?Spore production lets plants travel far by wind or water and gives them new genetic combinations.

Haplodiplontic: A life cycle characterized by alternation between haploid and diploid multicellular stages.
Meiosis: Cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing haploid spores or gametes.
Mitosis: Cell division that maintains the chromosome number, used for growth and producing gametes in the gametophyte.
Embryophytes: The taxonomic division that includes all land plants, characterized by alternation of generations.