Embryophyta, Metaphyta, Plantae
Reproduction and life histories
Each organism from inception to death goes through a sequence of genetically programmed developmental events constituting a life history. In eukaryotic organisms, development involves cellular events such as mitosis, meiosis, and syngamy (fertilization), which variously proceed by nuclear division (karyokinesis), cytoplasmic division (cytokinesis), cytoplasmic fusion without the union of nuclei (plasmogamy), or nuclear fusion (karyogamy).
This discussion focuses on the life histories of land plants—that is, nonvascular (bryophytes) and vascular plants, the latter comprising nonseed vascular plants (pteridophytes) and seed plants (gymnosperms and angiosperms). Although algae and fungi were traditionally regarded as plants, ... (100 of 21,788 words)