The roots anchor the plant to the ground and absorb water and minerals. The Sporangia are the reproductive structures of the ferns and fern allies. Several sporangia grouped together are called a Sorus. The arrangement of sporangia varies greatly in ferns. Normally they are formed in groups of four.
Spores contain oil droplets and sometimes chlorophyll in addition to their nucleus.
Ferns drop millions, often times billions of spores during their lifetime but very few ever land in a spot suitable for growth. The life cycle of the ferns may seem complicated but it has worked quite successfully for millions of years. Though spores come from fronds of ferns, the fronds do not come directly from the spores. The tiny single-celled organism starts to grow by cell division. The Prothallium then grows Antheridia or male organs and Archegonia or female organs on its underside.