sporophytes

Sporophyte is the diploid, multicellular phase in the life cycle of plants and some algae that arises after fertilization and gives rise to spores. The sporophyte produces spores by meiosis, which germinate into the haploid gametophyte generation.

Most plants exhibit alternation of generations, switching between sporophyte and gametophyte forms. A zygote formed by fertilization grows into a sporophyte, which bears sporangia. Within these sporangia, meiosis produces haploid spores that disperse and germinate into haploid gametophytes. The gametophytes generate gametes by mitosis; fusion of two gametes forms a new zygote, completing the cycle.

The relative prominence of sporophyte versus gametophyte varies among plant groups. In bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, hornworts), the gametophyte is the dominant, persistent stage, and the sporophyte is usually small and dependent on the gametophyte for nutrition. In vascular plants (ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms) the sporophyte is the dominant, free-living generation, while the gametophyte is reduced and often microscopic; in flowering plants, the male and female gametophytes are limited to pollen grains and the embryo sac, respectively.

Sporophytes typically possess sporangia where meiosis occurs, and in many plants these structures are organized into specialized bodies such as cones or sori. In seed plants, the sporophyte encompasses the tissues that produce seeds, fruits, and other structures associated with dispersal and propagation.