PRACTICAL 7 : GYMNOSPERM AND ANGIOSPERM

INTRODUCTION

Gymnosperms are plants with exposed seeds borne on scale-like structures

called cones. Gymnosperms include four phyla which were Cycadophyta,
Gingkophyta, Coniferophyta and Gnetophyta. The conifers are among the most
important plant economically, because their wood is used in building constructions.
Like ferns, gymnosperms have well-developed alternation of generation. Unlike
ferns, gymnosperms are heterosporous where they produce two types of spores.
Microspores occur in male cones and form male gametophytes. Megaspores occur
in female cones and form female gametophytes. The gametophytes of gymnosperm
are depend on the sporophyte.

Flowering plants are the most abundant, diverse and widespread to all land
plants. The most important characteristics that can distinguish between the
Angiosperm from the other seed plant is the presence of flower part that will mature
into a fruit, a container that protects the seeds and allow them to be dispersed
without coming into contact with the rigors of the external environment. In many
instances, fruits also contributes to the dispersal of seeds. Similar to the
gymnosperms, the dominant generation in the Angiosperm life cycle is the diploid
sporophyte.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

7.1 Phylum Coniferophyta

 Male cones
 Prepared slides of male strobilus
 Female cones
 Prepared slides of pine seed
 Prepared slides of pine fertilization
 Compound microscope
 Dissecting microscope

1. A cluster of male cones is obtained.

2. All the tiny scales-like structures that make up the male cones are noted.
3. A prepared slides of a longitudinal section of a male conies studied with a
dissecting microscope.
4. Medium-power objective is switched to observe a single microsporophyll more
closely. The cavity contained, which was the sporangium (pollen sac) that
contains numerous pollen grains are noted.
5. A single pollen grain is observed with the high-dry objective. The earlike wings
on the either side of the body were observed.
6. The cells that make up the body which were the generative cells and the tube
cells are identified.
7. A single female cone is obtained and the arrangement of the cone scales is
noted.
8. A prepared slides of a longitudinal section of female cones are examined with
a compound microscope. The integuments and the opening between them
(micropyle) are found.
9. With the low-power objective of the compound microspcope, a longitudinal
section through the pine seed is studied.
10. The demonstration slide of fertilization in Pinus is examined. The zygote
which is the product from the fusion of egg and sperm are identified.

7.2 Flowering Plants

 Flower
 Prepared slides of mature lily anther (pollen grains)
 Prepared slides of pollen tetrad
 Prepared slides of lily ovary - megaspore mother cell
 Demonstration slide of lily ovary – 7 celled, 8 nucleate gametophyte
 Demonstration slide of lily ovary – double fertilization
 Dissecting microscope
 Compound microscope

1. A flower provided for dissection is obtained.

2. At the base of the flower, the swollen stem tip is located, the receptacle, upon
which the whorls of flower petals are arranged.
3. The calyx, comprising the outermost whorl are identified.
4. Moving inward, the next whorl of flower are located.
5. A single stamen in greater detail is examined.
6. The female portion of the flower are located – the pistil. The number of
carpels is determined by counting the the number of lobes of the stigma.
7. The different parts of the pistils , at the top (stigma) is identified; a neck like
style; and swollen ovary.
8. A section of the ovary is made by using a sharp razor blade. The pistil is cut
longitudinally and the ovary is cut crosswide.
9. The section is examined with a dissecting microscope to find the numerous
small ovules in the ovary.
10. The number of the petals and sepals in the flower are examined.

11. With the low-power objective of compound microscope, a prepared slides of a

cross section of a mature anther are examined. The sections of the four
microsporangia are found. The walls that split open to alow the pollen grain to
be released are noted.
12. The contents of a single microsporangium, which are the pollen are studied.
High-dry objective to study the individual pollen grain more closely is
switched.
13. The large tube cell and a smaller, crescent shaped generative cell that float
freely in the cytoplasm of the tube cell are identified. The rigid and the valley
of the wall are noted.
14. With the medium-power objective of the compound microscope, a prepared
slides of a cross section of an ovary is examined.
15. The several ovules that have been sectioned in a plane is found, so that the
very large diploid megaspore mother cell is obvious.
16. The demonstration slide of the seven celled – eight nucleate female
gametophyte. The egg cell, synergids, polar nuclei and atipodals are
identified.
17. The demonstration slide of the double fertilization is observed. The zygote,
endosperm and the central cell (antipodals) are observed.
DISCUSSION

In this experiment there are representatives of two major group of lower plants, that
are gymnosperm and angiosperm. Phylum Coniferophyta represent under
gymnosperm. Based on this experiment, Coniferophyta is considered as the largest
in the gymnosperm phyla. The conifers are woody trees and shrubs that are needle-
like or scale-like leaves, with thicker cuticles and smaller surface area. While,
Angiosperm are the seed-bearing and flowering plants which represent in Phylum
Anthophyta. Flower are specialized reproductive structures (gametophytes) in this
phylum. Of all the divisions of plants, angiosperm is the most successful and the
most diverse.

The alternation of generation in gymnosperm is "Gymnosperm" means naked

seed. Alternation of generations is still involved in the reproduction of these plants.
They are all heterosporous: the microspores are shed as pollen, whereas the
megaspore germinates in the strobilus to produce the female gametophyte.

Next, the alternation of generation in angiosperm are the diploid sporophytes has
extensive roots and shoot systems where is also retains and nourishes the
gametophytes in the flowers and disperse its sperm-bearing pollens from the
flowers. In angiosperm double fertilization is one of the distinctive characteristic.

In Coniferophyta, the cone are the structures that formed through a sedimentary
process. As their names implies, cone shaped formed a nest inside the cone shaped
cup. They resemble fossils and are even mistaken for such, looking very similar to
marine organisms. A cone, that is also known as strobilus, is an organ of conifers
that contains the reproductive structures. The familiar woody cone is the female
cone, which will produce the seeds. The male cones, which produce the pollen, are
usually herbaceous and less available even at full maturity. The name "cone" comes
from the fact, that the shape in some species resembles a geometric cone. The
individual plates of a cone are known as scales.
The male cone (microstrobilus or pollen cone) is structurally similar for all conifers,
differing only in small ways (mostly in scale arrangement) from species to species.
Extending out from a central axis are microsporophylls (modified leaves). Under
each microsporophyll contained one or several microsporangia (pollen sacs).

The female cone (megastrobilus) contains ovules which, when fertilized by pollen,
become seeds. The female cone structure varies more markedly between the
different conifer families, and is often crucial for the identification of many species of
conifers.

The essential parts of a flower can be considered in two parts which were the
vegetative part, that consisting of petals and associated structures in the perianth,
and the reproductive sexual parts. A stereotypical flower consists of four kinds of
structures attached to the tip of a short stalk. Each of these kinds of parts is arranged
in a whorl on the receptacle. Sepal is function as a protection for the unopened
flower. Petals may be brightly coloured to attract insects. Stamens is the male parts
of the flower, each consists of an anther held up on a filament. Anthers produce male
sex cell that is pollen grains. Stigma is the top of female part of the flower which
collects pollen grains. Ovary produces the female sex cells that contained in the
ovules. Lastly, nectar produces a sugary solution, which can attracts insects.

The event that associated with the development of microspores, megaspores, seeds
and fruits are in angiosperm double fertilization was occur. Pollen sacs contain
numerous diploid cell called as microsporocytes, each undergo meiosis to produce
four haploid cells called microspores. Each of ovule contain ovary which called
megasporocytes, will undergo meiosis to produce megaspores. In double
fertilization, the egg fuse with sperm cell forming zygotes then develops as embryo.
Ovule will develops into seed while the surrounding ovary develops into a fruit.
PRACTICAL 6: BRYOPHYTES AND PTERIDOPHYTES

INTRODUCTION

Bryophytes and Pteridophytes are type of plant group. Bryophytes is non-

vascular plants which is internal transport system and lack true roots, stems or
leaves. Pteridophytes is seedless, vascular plant (ferns) have internal tissue systems
(vascular system) that conduct water and solutes through roots, stems and leaves
but they do not bear seed. Bryophytes can divided into three group that are mosses
(Bryophyta), Liverworts (Hepatophyta) and the last one is hornworts (
Antrhocerophyta). It was considred as lower plant because lack of vascular system
that mean by this is absence of roots and shoots.Its small morphology permits water
and nutrients to be transported without vascular system. Rhizoids is a root-like that
used for water and nutrient absportion. Its cannot survive in non watery habitats
because the sperm is motile by means of flagella.

Pteridophytes is mostly seedless plant that flourished in the past are

descendants of them are ferns, Lycophytes, horsetails, and whisk ferns.
Pteridophytes is differ from bryophytes because of this three aspects that are their
sporophytes have well developed vascular tissue for proper support and conduction,
their sporophytes develop independently from gametophytes and the last reasons is
their sporophytes have longer life phase in the life cycle. Its can be divided into two
phyla.The phyla are Phylum Pterophyta and Phylum Lycophyta. Phylum Pterophyta
includes ferns, horsetails and whisk ferns. Next, Phylum Lycophyta that are includes
club mosses and spike mosses .
DISCUSSION

In this experiments, there are two phylum that have been observed which are
Phylum Bryophyta and Phylum Pteridophyta. The plants that are categorized under
Phylum Bryophyta are Marchantia which is the liverwort and Polytrichum which is the
mosses. For Phylum Bryophytes, they are considered as a lower plants because
they are lack of vascular systems, cannot survive in non-watery habitats because
their sperm is motile. But they do have several features that can help them to adapt
such as the presence of cuticles and waxy coat. These characteristics helps them to
adapt by prevent the excessive loss of water. Their sperm and egg have a cellular
that surrounding them to ensure them from drying out if the conditions are harsh.
Their large gametophyte are not dependant and not get the nutrients from the
sporophyte.

For Marchantia sp, it has thallus and gemmae cup. The sexually mature thallus will
erect branches that called gametophores. They are umbrella-shaped. Marchantia sp
is heterothallic thus a thallus can bears either antheridiophores or the
archegoniophores. The gemmae cup are present on the dorsal surface cup-like
structures. The gemmae cup is the special vegetative reproductive bodies in
Marchantia. While for Polytrichum species, their structure will develope from the
upper part of the archaegonium (female gamete-producing structure) and it is role in
stimulating the growth of the young sporophyte. The protonema is the site where the
buds grow. Each buds then will develope into gametophyte. For its sexual
reproduction, their antheridia and archegonia are occur on the different plants.

The next phylum is Phylum Pteridophytes. Two types of phylum that been observed
are Phylum Pterophyta (true ferns) and Phylum Lycophyta. They are different from
bryophytes because they have well-developed vascular tissue. They also are
develop independently from the gametophytes and their sporophytes have a longer
life phase. In ferns, they contain a cluster of sporangia that called sor, and the sori
are contain spores that will use during fertilization process. The fern use water as a
medium for its dispersal, thus, its flagellated sperm will swim to the archegonium and
fertilize with egg to form a zygote. The forming zygote then will develope into embryo
sporophyte and when mature, the gametophytes will die and the sporophyte will
begin its independent life.
Next is Phylum Lycophyta. The example in this phylum are Lycopodium and
Sellaginella. Lycopodium is a club mosses which have true roots, stems and small
leaves that containing vascular tissue. They have strobilus, a conelike reproductive
structure that contain spores. The spores contain either male or female spore, in one
strobilus. Sellanigella ia another example of Lycophyte group. Differ from
Lycopodium, they produces heterosporous spores which are male and female in
same strobilus. The smaller spore which is called microspores is the male spores
wile the larger one are called megaspores which is the male spore.