Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
megagametophyte

megagametophyte

9.9
A female part in seed plants that makes the egg cell
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛɡəˈɡæməˌtoʊfaɪt/
  • Specialized
: megagametófito
  • The megagametophyte develops inside the ovule and gives rise to the egg cell.

Examples

  • In flowering plants, the megagametophyte forms inside the ovule.

  • Scientists studied the nutritional content of the megagametophyte in several conifer species.

  • After fertilization, the megagametophyte becomes part of the seed's nutritive tissue.

  • The megagametophyte is crucial for seed development.

  • The megagametophyte develops inside the ovule and provides nourishment for the fertilized egg cell.

  • In flowering plants, the megagametophyte is responsible for producing the female gametes.

  • Scientists studied the role of the megagametophyte in seed development among different plant species.

Surface Forms

megagametophyte singular
megagametophytes plural

Morphology

megagametophyte = gametophyte (opaque) = mega + gamete + phyte

The word adds the scientific prefix 'mega-' to the specialized botanical term 'gametophyte', which is not recoverable for an average learner from the parts alone.

Etymology

The word megagametophyte breaks into three parts: mega 'large', as in megastore, gamete 'reproductive cell like an egg', and phyte 'plant'. So a megagametophyte is the 'large' plant stage that makes the female reproductive cell, the egg, inside seed plants.