sporofyyt

Sporofyyt is a term used in biology, particularly in the study of plants and algae, to describe the diploid multicellular stage of the life cycle that alternates with a haploid gametophyte stage. This alternation of generations is a fundamental characteristic of many eukaryotic organisms. The sporofyyt generation is responsible for producing spores through the process of meiosis. These spores are haploid, meaning they contain half the number of chromosomes as the sporofyyt. When these spores germinate under suitable conditions, they develop into the gametophyte generation. The gametophyte is the haploid stage of the life cycle and is responsible for producing gametes (sperm and egg cells) through mitosis. Fertilization, the fusion of these gametes, restores the diploid state, initiating the development of a new sporofyyt. In some organisms, like ferns, the sporofyyt is the dominant and most visible generation, while the gametophyte is small and inconspicuous. In other organisms, such as mosses, the gametophyte is the dominant phase. The sporofyyt is essentially the spore-producing plant.