Plants alternate
Generations.
Gametes join in
New combinations:
It’s a new sporophyte,
Making spores in meiosis.
Spores might only have 1n,
But each chromosome’s focused.
‘Cause spores will grow gametophytes,
Which make gametes left and right.
Though they’re haploid still, they might
Join together just to find
This Sporophyte Song
For trees big and strong,
Spore-making fern fronds!
They're diploid: one-plus-one
Chromosome copies gained from
Last generation.
And the sporophyte part is usually big and
green…
While often the gametophyte can’t be seen.
Except for moss and liverwort:
They’re seedless and non-vascular.
They make gametes.
Green part makes gametes.
And the gametes swim through the rain drops;
New sporophytes grow right on top.
Set them free.
Let those spores go free.
The spores will grow gametophytes,
Which make gametes left and right.
Though they’re haploid still, they might
Join together just to find
This Sporophyte Song
For trees big and strong,
Spore-making fern fronds!
They're diploid: one-plus-one
Chromosome copies gained from
Last generation.
And the sporophyte part is usually big and
green…
While often the gametophyte can’t be seen.
Gametophyte can’t be seen.
Plants alternate
Generations.
Gametes join in
New combinations:
It’s a new sporophyte,
Making spores in meiosis.
Spores may only have 1n,
But each chromosome’s focused.
This Sporophyte Song’s
For trees big and strong,
Spore-making fern fronds!
They're diploid: one-plus-one
Chromosome copies gained from
Last generation.
And the sporophyte part is usually big and
green…
While often the gametophyte can’t be seen.
No, often the gametophyte can’t be seen.
