Alternation Of Generations | Definition & Examples | Britannica

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Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos alternation of generations Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics Images fern: life cycle Moss life cycle Life cycle of the common jellyfish Aurelia. Eggs released by females pass out through the mouth and become lodged in pits on the tentacles. Sperm released from male jellyfish fertilize the eggs, which remain on the tentacles during early development. A fertilized egg develops into a ciliated larva, or planula, which settles on and attaches to a substrate (such as a rock) and develops into a polyp with a mouth and tentacles. The polyp reproduces asexually by budding off saucer-shaped immature medusae, which develop into mature sexually reproducing forms. Britannica AI Icon Contents Science Biology Life Cycle, Processes & Properties CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/alternation-of-generations Feedback Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

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fern: life cycle
fern: life cycle The life cycle of the fern. (more)
alternation of generations biology Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: diplohaplontic cycle, diplohaplontic life cycle, heterogenesis, metagenesis(Show More) Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Icon Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

alternation of generations, in biology, the alternation of a sexual phase and an asexual phase in the life cycle of an organism. The two phases, or generations, are often morphologically, and sometimes chromosomally, distinct.

Moss life cycle
Moss life cycleLife cycle of moss.(more)

In algae, fungi, and plants, alternation of generations is common. It is not always easy to observe, however, since one or the other of the generations is often very small, even microscopic. The sexual phase, called the gametophyte generation, produces gametes, or sex cells, and the asexual phase, or sporophyte generation, produces spores asexually. In terms of chromosomes, the gametophyte is haploid (has a single set of chromosomes), and the sporophyte is diploid (has a double set). In bryophytes, such as mosses and liverworts, the gametophyte is the dominant life phase, whereas in angiosperms and gymnosperms the sporophyte is dominant. The haploid phase is also dominant among fungi. Although some algae have determinate life cycle stages, many species alternate between the sexual and asexual phases in response to environmental conditions.

Also called: metagenesis or heterogenesis (Show more) Key People: Frederick Orpen Bower (Show more) Related Topics: gametophyte sporophyte gametophore haploid phase diploid phase (Show more) See all related content
Life cycle of the common jellyfish Aurelia. Eggs released by females pass out through the mouth and become lodged in pits on the tentacles. Sperm released from male jellyfish fertilize the eggs, which remain on the tentacles during early development. A fertilized egg develops into a ciliated larva, or planula, which settles on and attaches to a substrate (such as a rock) and develops into a polyp with a mouth and tentacles. The polyp reproduces asexually by budding off saucer-shaped immature medusae, which develop into mature sexually reproducing forms.
Life cycle of the common jellyfish Aurelia. Eggs released by females pass out through the mouth and become lodged in pits on the tentacles. Sperm released from male jellyfish fertilize the eggs, which remain on the tentacles during early development. A fertilized egg develops into a ciliated larva, or planula, which settles on and attaches to a substrate (such as a rock) and develops into a polyp with a mouth and tentacles. The polyp reproduces asexually by budding off saucer-shaped immature medusae, which develop into mature sexually reproducing forms.(more)

Among animals, many invertebrates have an alternation of sexual and asexual generations (e.g., protozoans, jellyfish, flatworms), but the alternation of haploid and diploid generations is unknown.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.

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