page_title: Microspore
hierarchical_section_title: Microspore
caption_attribution_description: English: 100x magnification of prepared slide of the strobius of Selaginella. Microspores are the smaller red cells on the bottom half, the macrospores are the large red discs in the upper half and slightly cut off at the very bottom. The green sac around the spores is the sporangium.
context_page_description: Microspores are land plant spores that develop into male gametophytes, whereas megaspores develop into female gametophytes. The male gametophyte gives rise to sperm cells, which are used for fertilization of an egg cell to form a zygote. Megaspores are structures that are part of the alternation of generations in many seedless vascular cryptogams, all gymnosperms and all angiosperms. Plants with heterosporous life cycles using microspores and megaspores arose independently in several plant groups during the Devonian period. Microspores are haploid, and are produced from diploid microsporocytes by meiosis.
context_section_description: Microspores are land plant spores that develop into male gametophytes, whereas megaspores develop into female gametophytes. The male gametophyte gives rise to sperm cells, which are used for fertilization of an egg cell to form a zygote. Megaspores are structures that are part of the alternation of generations in many seedless vascular cryptogams, all gymnosperms and all angiosperms. Plants with heterosporous life cycles using microspores and megaspores arose independently in several plant groups during the Devonian period. Microspores are haploid, and are produced from diploid microsporocytes by meiosis.
caption: Microscopic photo of spores (in red) of Selaginella. The large three spores at the top are megaspores whereas the numerous smaller red spores at the bottom are microspores.
exif: {"Image Make": "Leica Microsystems", "Image Model": "DFC 280 1.7", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image Software": "FireCam 3.1", "Image DateTime": "2012:04:10 12:37:26", "Image HostComputer": "Mac OS X (10.5.8)", "Image ExifOffset": "179", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "1280", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "1024"}