The Cellular Basis of

Inheritance: Life Cycles

Chapters 7 and 14

Life Cycles
Fertilization and meiosis alternate in sexual life cycles
Meiosis reduces the chromosome number by half
Producing haploid cells

Fertilization, the joining of two gametes, restores the chromosome

number
Producing diploid cells

Animal Kingdom Life Cycle

Animals use Gametic Meiosis
Diploid-dominant

Meiosis produces haploid gametes

Gametes do not divide (remain unicellular)

Fertilization produces a diploid

zygote
Zygote undergoes mitosis to produce a
multicellular diploid body (adult
animal)

Fungus Kingdom Life Cycle

Fungus use Zygotic Meiosis
Haploid-dominant

Meiosis of the zygote produces

haploid spores
Spores undergo mitosis to produce a
multicellular haploid body
(mycelium/fungus)
Mycelia of two fungi fuse and develop into
a fruiting body (mushroom)

Fertilization produces a diploid zygote

Zygote remains uni-cellular
Zygote is the only diploid cell during the
life cycle

Diploid
Zygote

a
nuclear fusion

Diploid Stage
Haploid Stage
Cells with two
nuclei
(n + n) form on
gills

meiosis

spore (n)

at gill
margi
n
gill
ca
p
stalk

mycelium

mycelium

Mitosi
s

cytoplasmic
fusion

Plant Kingdom Life Cycle

Plants use Sporic Meiosis
alternation of generations

Meiosis produces haploid spores

Spores undergo mitosis to produce a multicellular haploid body (gametophyte)

Fertilization produces a diploid zygote

Zygote undergoes mitosis to produce a multicellular diploid body (sporophyte)

Alternates between multi-cellular diploid and multi-cellular haploid

bodies

s
ito

is

zygote

multicelled
sporophyte

Diploid (2n)
Phase of Cycle

Meiosis

Fertilization

Haploid (n)
Phase of Cycle

gametes

mit
osi
s

multicelled
gametophyte

spores

is
s
o
t
mi

Stepped Art
Fig, 21.3, p. 326

Plant Kingdom Life Cycle

Sporophyte (diploid, multicellular)
Produces flowers which contain the
germ cells
Germ cells are located in the carpel (ova)
and stamen (pollen)

Plant Kingdom Life Cycle

Production of the ova
Occurs in flowers within the pistil
Made up of 1 or more carpels
Stigma
Style
Ovary

Plant Kingdom Life Cycle

Production of the ova
Occurs in flowers within the pistil
The ovary contains 1 or more ovules which produce egg sacs
Meiosis of the ovules produces spores
Spores undergo mitosis to become the egg sac (gametophyte)

Meiosis
Spores

Egg Sac
Mitosis

an ovule
ovary
wall

megasporocyte
integument
stalk

ovary (cutaway view)

Double Fertilization

Diploid Stage
Haploid Stage

Meiosis

Plant Kingdom Life Cycle

Production of pollen
Occurs in flowers in the stamen
Anther
Filament

Plant Kingdom Life Cycle

Production of pollen
The anther contains germ cells in pollen
sacks
Meiosis produces spores
Spores undergo mitosis to become the pollen
(gametophyte)

Plant Kingdom Life Cycle

Pollination
The transfer of pollen from an anther to a
stigma (not fertilization)
Wind, insects, mammals, etc.
Released pollen lands on the stigma
Pollen grows a tube through the style to the
ovary

Plant Kingdom Life Cycle

Fertilization
Two sperm enter the egg sac from the
pollen tube
One fuses with the egg forming the diploid
zygote
Develops into the embryo

The other fuses with the central cell to form a

triploid endosperm

Plant Kingdom Life Cycle

Development
A seed develops from each mature fertilized ovule
Fruit develops from the ovary or other tissue
Embryo grows into a new mature sporophyte

Nutritive
tissue
Embryo
Seed

Ovule
Ovary

Fig. 27-5, p.451