Sporangium

For bacteria-related information, see endospore.
Photomicrograph of a mature sporangium of an Absidia mold
Moss sporangia (the capsule and the stalk/seta make up the diploid asexual sporophyte generation)[1]
Sporangia (clustered in sori) on a fern leaf
Scanning electron micrograph of fern leptosporangia
Equisetum arvense strobilus cut open to reveal sporangia
Clusters of sporangia on a fern

A sporangium (from Late Latin, from Ancient Greek σπορά (sporá) 'seed' and ἀγγεῖον (angeîon) 'vessel'); pl.: sporangia)[2] is an enclosure in which spores are formed.[3] It can be composed of a single cell or can be multicellular. Virtually all plants, fungi, and many other groups form sporangia at some point in their life cycle. Sporangia can produce spores by mitosis, but in land plants and many fungi, sporangia produce genetically distinct haploid spores by meiosis.

  1. ^ "Life Cycle of a Moss - Infographic". STEM Lounge. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  2. ^ "sporangium". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on May 28, 2020.
  3. ^ Rost, Thomas L.; et al. (2006). Plant Biology (2nd ed.). Thompson Brooks/Cole. ISBN 9780495013938.