Moss Life Cycle Worksheet

. The life cycle of most mosses begins with the release of spores from a capsule, which opens when a small, lidlike structure, called the operculum, degenerates. A single spore germinates to form a branched, filamentous protonema, from which a leafy gametophyte develops. The gametophyte bears organs for sexual reproduction. Sperm, which are released by the mature antheridium (the male reproductive organ), are attracted into the neck of an archegonium (the female reproductive organ). Here, one sperm fuses with the egg to produce the zygote. After cell division, the zygote becomes the sporophyte, and, at the same time, the archegonium divides to form the protective calyptra. The sporophyte usually consists of a capsule and a seta. Asexual reproduction occurs within the capsule and the whole process may begin again.