megaspore
- noun
- /ˈmɛɡəˌspɔr/
- Specialized
:
megáspora
- In angiosperms, the female gametophyte develops from a functional megaspore via three or more rounds of mitosis without cytokinesis.
Examples
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The family is monotypic and comprises 350 species, which are classified mainly on the basis of megaspore surface morphology.
Blog text (27) -
In the latter case, two demonstrably rare events must occur simultaneously -- both a polyploid microspore and a polyploid megaspore must be formed to produce the egg and sperm that are necessary to initiate a new sporophyte (Figure 4).
Academic text (2002) -
In many plants, the megaspore is crucial for developing the female gametophyte.
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The megaspore develops slowly into a structure that will support fertilization.
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Scientists study megaspore formation to understand plant reproductive processes.
Synonyms
Large spore in some plants that grows inside the ovule into the female part that makes eggs
How Big
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Megaspore comes from the parts mega-, like in megaphone, meaning 'large', and spore meaning a 'seed-like cell'. So a megaspore is the larger spore that grows into the female part of the plant.