LIFE ACTIVITIES OF

FERNS
• Ferns belongs to a group of vascular but seedless
plants called pteridophytes
• Unlike moss, ferns have true root, stem and
leaves.
• Ferns are the most diverse group of seedless
plants
• Ferns are perennial plants
• Examples of ferns are Nephrolepis and Dryopteris
HABITAT - They are epiphytes and grow on angle
of forest trees, oil palm while others are found on
the ground
The Structure of Fern plant [Dryopteris]
 Description of the Structure of Ferns
• The fern is a herbaceous vascular plant of
division Pteridophyta and class filicinophyta
• Its body is divided into true roots[adventitious],
stem[underground rhizome] and leaves.
• The leaves called fonds arise froms on the
rhizome.
• Each fond is made up of several leaflets called
pinnae.
• Each pinna is subdivided into pinnules.
•Spores are contained in special structures
called sporangia.
•The sporangia are found in groups or clusters
on the under-surface of the leaf.
•A cluster of sporangia is called sorus[plural-
sori]
•Each sorus is covered by a protective
structure called indusium[plural- indusia]
Underside of The Leaf of Ferns
Transverse Section of Sorus
Prothallus
 Reproduction in Ferns
• The fern plant undergoes alternation of generation
• The diploid sporophyte generation alternates with the
haploid gametophyte generation
• The sporophyte bears sporangia which contains spores
on the under surface of matured fronds
• The spores are haploid because they are produced by
meiosis.
• When the sporangia are matured, the indusium shrinks
and drops off to expose the walls of the sporangia.
 Reproduction in Ferns
• The walls of the sporangia are made up of strips of cells
called annulus.
• The annulus has a weak line called stonium.
• As the cells of the annulus dry, tension is created causing it to
dry along the stonium.
• The spores are scattered.
• During favourable condition, a spore germinates into a very
small, thin heart-shaped structure called prothallus.
• The prothallus is haploid and it is the gametophyte stage of
the fern.
 Reproduction in Ferns
•It is green and undergoes photosynthesis
•It anchors itself to the substratum by unicellular
rhizoids which absorbs water and mineral salt.
•The prothallus bears the antheridia and archegonia
on its ventral surface.
•The antheridium produces many sperms
[antherizoids] with several flagella and the
archegonium produces only one egg.
 Reproduction in Ferns
• In the presence of moisture, the sperm swims and
fertilizes the egg to produce s diploid zygote.
• The zygote develops in the archegonium into a new
sporophyte.
• The new sporophyte depends initially on the prothallus
but eventually becomes independent.
 Adaptive Features of Ferns in
its Environment
•It has adventitious roots to provide support and
absorb water and mineral salt
•It has shiny cuticles on the upper surface to
reduce transpiration
•It has sori on the under surface to protect the
spores against rain
 Differences Between Prothallus and
Sporophyte in Ferns
PROTHALLUS SPOROPHYTE
Rhizoids are Roots are permanent
unicellular
Sex organs are present Sex organs are absent

Spores are absent Spores are present

temporal Permanent
 Differences Between Moss and
Ferns
MOSS
Sporophyte is a parasite on
the gametophyte
It lacks conducting vessels
Lacks true roots, stems and
leaves
The main plant is the
gametophyte
FERN
Sporophyte is independent
of the gametophyte
It has conducting vessels
It has true root, stem and
leaves
The main plant is
sporophyte
 END OF
PRESENTATION
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