[Campbell Biology P.680] Which of the following statements accurately distinguishes between ... | Practice Question
Which of the following statements accurately distinguishes between homosporous and heterosporous spore production?
A: Homosporous plants produce a single type of spore that develops into a bisexual gametophyte, whereas heterosporous plants produce two types of spores (megaspores and microspores) that develop into unisexual gametophytes.
B: Homosporous plants only produce male gametophytes, while heterosporous plants produce both male and female gametophytes.
C: Heterosporous plants are characteristic of most seedless vascular plants, while homosporous plants include all seed plants.
D: In homosporous production, megaspores develop into female gametophytes, and microspores develop into male gametophytes.
Explanation
Homosporous plants, typical of most seedless vascular plants, produce one type of spore that develops into a bisexual gametophyte. In contrast, heterosporous plants including all seed plants and some seedless vascular plants produce two distinct types of spores: megaspores developing into female gametophytes and microspores developing into male gametophytes .