C-Fern Paper Outline

The C-fern (Ceratopteris richardii) is an aquatic to semiaquatic plant in the Ptendaceae

family. It has a short life cycle and develops into a mature gametophyte in two weeks. C.
richardii is sensitive to light and best grown at 28C in a domed culture tray. Sexual
differentiation can be seen three to five days passed sowing but phenotypic differences are
evident around seven days passed sowing. The earlier gametophytes develop into
hermaphrodites, heart shaped gametophytes containing both antheridia and archegonia and it
produces an antheridiogen, or a pheromone, that influence the gametophytes that develop later to
become male. The sperm have a positive chemostatic response to contents that are discharged
from the neck of the archegonia and will swim towards it. Fertilization will then occur resulting
in a diploid zygote which develops into an embryo.
Sex and the c-fern
Ceratopteris richardii
Family Ptendaceae
Aquatic to semi aquatic plant
Short life cycle, develops into mature gametophyte in 2 weeks
28 degrees C is optimal temp
o sensitive to light
sexual differentiation is seen three to five days passed sowing but phenotypic differences
can be observed around seven days passed sowing.
The earlier gametophytes develop into hermaphrodites, heart shaped gametophytes
containing both antheridia and archegonia and it produces an antheridiogen, or a
pheromone, that influence the gametophytes that develop later to become male.
The sperm have a positive chemostatic response to contents that are discharged from the
neck of the archegonia and will swim towards it. Fertilization will then occur resulting in
a diploid zygote which develops into an embryo.
Structural analysis and inheritance of clumped chloroplast mutant
Mutation: single recessive gene cp1
o Clumped chloroplasts
Wild type: evenly distriubtred chloroplasts
Chloroplast division in the wild type is created by a furrow on the short axis while
chloroplast division in the mutant type is on the long axis
o Maybe one of the reasons for clumped chloroplast
Purpose of this study: determine why the chloroplast in the C-fern is clumped in the
mutant type
Strains of C. richardii were grown and the mutant and wild type phenotypes were separated
into different petri dishes. The gametophytes were then either self fertilized or crossed. A
particular mutant type strain, CP4, showed high germination and subsequent generations of
the strain showed clumped chloroplasts.

When a cross was done with the a the CP4 strain and a wild type strain, the
gametophytes showed low germination and produced gametophytes with three different
phenotypes, wild type, mutant type, and small aborted types, which failed to grow. The
hybrid sporophyte showed no clumped chloroplasts and resembled the wild type,
meaning that the trait for clumped chloroplasts was recessive.
In an experiment on C-ferns, researchers determined why the chloroplast in the C-fern is
clumped in the mutant type. The researchers predicted that the clumped chloroplasts were
due to variation in chlorophyll content or the ratio between chlorophyll a and b. When
tested, it seemed unlikely that the mutation was due to the ratio because the ratios
between the two phenotypes were similar and the mutant gametophytes showed more
chlorophyll than the wild type, which is unexpected as it would be more logical for a
lighter gametophyte to contain less chlorophyll. Thin sections of the wild type showed
that the vacuole was at the center of the cell and the organelles, including chloroplasts,
were at the edge of the cell with cytoplasm distributed around them. The mutant type
displayed chloroplasts that were in clumps including the organelles rather than even
distribution. Although there was a small amount of cytoplasm near the cell wall, no
organelles were present. The researchers concluded that the clustering of the chloroplasts
is the reason for the difference in the color between the mutant and wild type.

Methods:
Average of 30 degrees C
Under continuous cool white fluorescent light
Grown in domed culture trays to maintain temperature and humidity
14 days gametophyte count
21 days looked for evidence of fertilization
bottom illuminated scope
grid for counting
applied sterile water to flood plates
predict a 3:1 ratio
Also:
o Chi square
o Name of c-fern
o Past tense
Methods:
Spores from a F1 hybrid C-Fern plant (Ceratopteris richardii) were sown on two petri
dishes containing agar-solidified nutrient medium. The cultures were grown under continuous
cool white fluorescent light with an average temperature of 30C in domed culture trays to
maintain consistent temperature and humidity. Fourteen days past sowing, the gametophytes
were counted and observations were made on the phenotype of the hermaphroditic
gametophytes, whether they were wild type or mutant type. All of the gametophytes from both
petri dishes given were counted, a total of 82 gametophytes using a bottom illuminated scope and
a grid under the petri dish for counting. The plates were flooded with sterile water at this stage.
At 21 days past sowing, gametophytes were observed for evidence of fertilization. The

gametophytes were taken out of the dishes and lined up by phenotype to be counted again. The
results were analyzed using the chi-square statistical test with a significance level of .05.
Results:
Pictures of c-ferns
o Labeled correctly

and chi square analysis results

Discussion:
summarize and interpret results
o use previous results and see if this is expected
errors?
Explain significance of my results
References
In text citations
Correct format for full citations