archegonium

American  

[ahr-ki-goh-nee-uhm] / ˌɑr kɪˈgoʊ ni əm /

noun

Botany.

• archegonia
  plural

1. the female reproductive organ in ferns, mosses, etc.

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archegonium British  

/ ˌɑːkɪˈɡəʊnɪəm /

noun

1. a female sex organ, occurring in mosses, spore-bearing vascular plants, and gymnosperms, that produces a single egg cell in its swollen base

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archegonium Scientific  

/ är′kĭ-gō′nē-əm /

• archegonia
  plural

1. The egg-producing organ occurring in bryophytes (such as mosses and liverworts), ferns, and most gymnosperms. The archegonium is a multicellular, often flask-shaped structure that contains a single egg.

2. Compare antheridium

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• archegonial
  adjective
• archegoniate
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• archegonia
  plural

Etymology

Origin of archegonium

1850–55; < New Latin, equivalent to archegon- (< Greek archégonos first of a race; see arche-, gono-) + -ium < Greek -ion diminutive suffix

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

archegonium archegonia

Flagellated sperm released from the antheridium swim on a wet surface to the archegonium, where the egg is fertilized.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

At fertilization, the sperm swims down the neck to the venter and unites with the egg inside the archegonium.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The female gametophyte is contained within a structure called the archegonium.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The zygote, protected by the archegonium, divides and grows into a sporophyte, still attached by its foot to the gametophyte.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The sexual generation is a small green thalloid structure called a prothallium, which bears antheridia and archegonia, each archegonium having a neck-canal and oosphere, which is fertilized just as in the moss.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 531, March 6, 1886 by Various

The gametophyte contains antheridia that produce, sperm and archegonia that produce eggs.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Flagellated sperm swim to the archegonia and fertilize eggs.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Male antheridia and female archegonia grow at the tip of the stem.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

The underside of the archegonial head contains protrusions called archegonia, which house the eggs.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

G, young sporogonium still surrounded by the much enlarged base of the archegonium. h, neck of the archegonium. ar. abortive archegonia, × 12.

From Elements of Structural and Systematic Botany For High Schools and Elementary College Courses by Douglas Houghton Campbell