Reproductive Cycles

A. Haplontic Life Cycle

Volvox - a colonial green algae
Volvox reproduce when male gametes and egg are
produce in the 1n stage (meiosis), after they fuse
together they form in to a zygospore - enclosed
zygote that can protect itself from environmental
dangers.

B. Diplohaplontic Life Cycle

Polysiphonia - red algae
In the life cycle of Polysiphonia, after meiosis, four
tetraspores are produced. These tetraspores can either
be male gametophytes that bear a spermatangia sex
organ carrying spermatia or female gametophytes with
a carpogonium sex organ that produces carpogonia. A
carpogonium unites with spermatium carried by water
current, causing fertilization. The zygote develops into a
carposporophyte, and then it eventually releases diploid
carpospores. These carpospores will eventually turn into
tetrasporophytes. After which, the tetrasporophytes
release tetraspores, and the cycle continues.

C. Diplontic Life Cycle

Fucus - a brown algae
In the life cycle of a Fucus, a zygote becomes a
juvenile sporophyte or an embryo. Then the embryo
develops into a mature Fucus, which has receptacles
at the tip of the algae. These receptacles serve as the
reproductive branches, containing the male and
female gametes, the antheridia, and oogonia. These
gametes go through meiosis, producing the sperm
and egg cells, where they unite, forming a zygote.
References:

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6%3A_Fucus_Life_Cycle

Astitva, G. (2016, September 16). Polysiphonia: occurrence, cell structure and life cycle rhodophyta.

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https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss6/haploid.html

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https://www.britannica.com/science/Volvox#/media/1/632669/33175

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