sporophyte

American  

[spawr-uh-fahyt, spohr-] / ˈspɔr əˌfaɪt, ˈspoʊr- /

noun

Botany.

1. the form of a plant in the alternation of generations that produces asexual spores.

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sporophyte British  

/ ˈspɒ-, ˌspɔːrəˈfɪtɪk, ˈspɔːrəʊˌfaɪt, ˌspɒ- /

noun

1. the diploid form of plants that have alternation of generations. It develops from a zygote and produces asexual spores Compare gametophyte

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sporophyte Scientific  

/ spôr′ə-fīt′ /

1. Among organisms which display an alternation of generations (such as plants, fungi, and certain algae), the individual diploid organism that produces spores. A sporophyte develops from an embryo resulting from the union of two gametes. Each of its cells has two sets of chromosomes, as opposed to the haploid gametophyte generation.

2. See more at alternation of generations gametophyte

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Other Word Forms

• sporophytic adjective

Etymology

Origin of sporophyte

First recorded in 1885–90; sporo- + -phyte

Compare meaning

How does sporophyte compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sporophyte vs. gametophyte

Example Sentences

The mature sporophyte produces sporangia, completing the cycle.

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

A new diploid sporophyte is formed when a male gamete from a pollen grain enters the ovule sac and fertilizes this egg.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

In seedless vascular plants, the diploid sporophyte is the dominant phase of the lifecycle.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

In all plants higher than the Bryophyta the sporophyte becomes an independently rooted plant and is the conspicuous stage in the life-history.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various