What Is Gymnosperms?


 

Definition of Gymnosperms:


Gymnosperms are a class of plants that do not produce seeds inside of their fruit or ovary.


How do Gymnosperms Work?


The Greek words "gymnos" (naked) and "Sperma" are where the phrase "Naked seeds" comes from (seed). Gymnosperms are plants that produce grains, but unlike angiosperms, they do not produce fruits with their seeds. These plants grow on the scales or leaves of their surface or at the tips of their stalks, where they form a cone-shaped structure.


The kingdom "Plantae" and the sub-kingdom "Embryophyta" are home to gymnosperms. The fossil evidence suggested that they evolved around 390 million years ago, during the Paleozoic era.

 

Gymnosperm Characteristics The following are important gymnosperm characteristics:


1.            Flowers are not produced by them.

2.            A fruit does not produce seeds inside of it. Naked, they are.

3.            They can be found in colder areas with snowfall.

4.            They produce needle-like leaves.

5.            They are woody or perennial and grow into trees or bushes.

6.            They are not separated into stigma, ovary, or style.


Also read: Palynology


Classification of Gymnosperms Gymnosperms is divided into the following four groups:


Cycadophyta Cycads are dioecious, which means that they reproduce in pairs: Each plant is either all male or all female). Cycads are plants that produce seeds, but the majority of their species are now extinct. During the Jurassic and late Triassic periods, they flourished. These days, people view plants as historical artifacts. These plants typically have thick trunks, small leaflets attached to a single central stem, and large compound leaves. They are anywhere from a few centimeters to several meters tall.


Tropical and subtropical climates are the typical home of cycads. Some members have adapted to oxygen-poor swampy environments as well as dry, arid conditions.

 

Ginkgophyta: Ginkgophyta is a group of Gymnosperms with only one living species. Currently extinct are all other members of this class.


The large size and fan-shaped leaves of the Ginkgo tree set them apart. Additionally, Ginkgo trees can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including cooking and medicine. As a treatment for memory-related diseases like Alzheimer's, ginkgo leaves are consumed.

 

Gnetophyta, like all members of the gymnosperm family, are relics from the past. There are just three species in this genus at the moment. Tropical trees, shrubs, and plants are typically included in gnetophytes. They are identified by their delicate, flowering leaves. An ancestral relationship with angiosperms can be seen in this coating.


Gnetophytes have vessel elements in their xylem, which sets them apart from other class members.

 

The most well-known species in the gymnosperm family are the Coniferophyta. They are enduring; Consequently, they do not shed leaves during the winter. The male and female cones, which form structures resembling needles, are primarily what distinguishes these.


Temperate regions with an average temperature of 10 °C are typically home to coniferous trees. Conifers include redwoods, gigantic sequoias, pines, and cedars.

 

Examples of Gymnosperms The following are some examples of gymnosperms:


• Cycas • Pinus • Araucaria • Thuja • Cedrus • Picea • Abies • Juniperus • Larix Gymnosperm Life Cycle Gymnosperms have a haploid and diploid life cycle, which means that they reproduce by changing generations. Sporophytes dominate their life cycle.


The phase of the gametophyte is relatively brief. Cones typically function as the reproductive organs.


Male cones have microsporangia-containing microsporophylls. Haploid microspores are produced by Microsporangium. The majority of microspores degenerate, while a select few mature into male gametes known as pollen grains.


Female Cones: Female cones are formed when the megasporophylls cluster together. They have megasporangium-filled ovules. It produces a megaspore mother cell and haploid megaspores.


The sperm are released by the pollen grain when it reaches the egg via wind or any other pollinating agent. When the nuclei of male and female gametophytes combine, a zygote is created. Fertilization is the term for this.


On the gymnosperm's cones, the seed appears in the form of scales.


The Gymnosperms are planted in the sub-kingdom Embophyta that do not produce flowers.


• There is neither an ovary nor a fruit that houses the seeds. On the surface of the gymnosperms' leaf-like structures, they are visible.


• They can be divided into four groups: Ginkgophyta, Cycadophyta, Coniferophyta, and Gnetophyta.


• Both boreal and temperate forests are home to gymnosperms.


Also read: Mammalia


FAQ


1. What is a gymnosperm?


Gymnosperms, which include conifers, cycads, gnetophytes, and ginkgos, are plants that produce seeds. They have no seeds and don't make fruits or blooms.


2. Is there a gymnosperm embryo?


Gymnosperms do indeed possess an embryo. The embryo and endosperm are enclosed in a seed coat when the ovule transforms into the seed in gymnosperms. However, after fertilization, the ovule does not produce fruit.


3. Give a few gymnosperm examples.


Gymnosperms include Cycas, pinus, Thuja, Cedrus, Abies, and Larix.


4. What distinguishes a gymnosperm from an angiosperm?


Gymnosperms are plants that do not produce flowers, whereas angiosperms produce flowers. Gymnosperms lack flowers or fruits and have naked seeds on the surface of their leaves, whereas angiosperms have seeds enclosed in an ovary (a fruit).


5. What kinds of gymnosperms are there?


Cycadophyta, Ginkophyta, Gnetophyta, and Coniferophyta are the four groups of gymnosperms.


6. Which stage dominates the gymnosperm life cycle?


The haploid stage is the predominant stage in the existing pattern of the gymnosperms. At this point, haploid gametes are produced by a multicellular haploid gametophyte that emerges from the spore. When it reaches maturity, the gametophyte produces male and female gametes that join together to form a diploid zygote.


7. Where can you find gymnosperms?


When snowfall occurs, gymnosperms are typically found in colder regions. Cycads, on the other hand, can be found in tropical and dry areas.

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