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megasporangium

megasporangium

9.9
A part of some plants that makes large spores that grow into new plants, like in ferns and seed plants
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛɡəˈspɔrændʒiəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : megasporangio
  • The ovule of a seed plant contains a megasporangium where the megaspore develops.

Examples

  • In ferns, the megasporangium typically produces only a few large spores.

  • Botanists examined the megasporangium under a microscope to study the process of spore formation.

  • The megasporangium is crucial for the reproduction of ferns.

  • In certain plants, the megasporangium develops into a seed.

  • The ovule of a seed plant contains a megasporangium where the megaspore develops.

  • In ferns, the megasporangium typically produces only a few large spores.

  • Botanists examined the megasporangium under a microscope to study the process of spore formation.

Synonyms

macrosporangium
vsmegasporangium
  • Specialized
9.9

A plant part that makes large spores called megaspores in seed plants and some ferns

is broader and applies to various plant groups rather than specific lists

Surface Forms

megasporangium singular
megasporangia plural

Morphology

megasporangium = sporangium (semi-transparent) = mega + sporangium

The word is clearly built from 'mega' + 'sporangium', but the biological sense is specialized rather than fully predictable from the components alone.

Etymology

Megasporangium comes from three parts: mega- 'large', spore 'a single cell that can grow into a new plant', and -angium 'container'. So a megasporangium is simply a 'large spore container', which explains why it is the plant structure that makes the big spores called megaspores.