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megaspore

American  
[meg-uh-spawr, -spohr] / ˈmɛg əˌspɔr, -ˌspoʊr /

noun

Botany.
  1. the larger of the two kinds of spores characteristically produced by seed plants and a few fern allies, developing into a female gametophyte.

  2. the embryo sac of a flowering plant.


megaspore British  
/ ˈmɛɡəˌspɔː /

noun

  1. Also called: macrospore.  the larger of the two types of spore produced by some spore-bearing plants, which develops into the female gametophyte Compare microspore

  2. the cell in flowering plants that gives rise to the embryo sac

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

megaspore Scientific  
/ mĕgə-spôr /
  1. One of the two types of haploid spores produced by a heterosporous plant. Megaspores develop into female gametophytes and are usually larger than microspores.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of megaspore

First recorded in 1885–90; mega- + spore

Vocabulary lists containing megaspore

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The megaspore mother cell is at the center.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

When the pollen lands on a female scale, a pollen tube grows toward the female gametophyte, which consists of an ovule containing the megaspore.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

The female gametophyte is formed from mitotic divisions of the megaspore, forming an eight-nuclei ovule sac.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

In the female cone, megaspore mother cells are present in the megasporangium.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

For an account of the further development of the megaspore, and the formation of the egg-cell, from which after fertilization is formed the embryo, see Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 5 "Fleury, Claude" to "Foraker" by Various

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