Typical life cycle of terrestrial plants and some seaweeds, in which there are two distinct forms occurring alternately:
diploid (having two sets of chromosomes) and
haploid (one set of chromosomes). The diploid generation produces haploid spores by
meiosis, and is called the sporophyte, while the haploid generation produces gametes (sex cells), and is called the gametophyte. The gametes fuse to form a diploid
zygote which develops into a new sporophyte; thus the sporophyte and gametophyte alternate.
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