Answer:

Life cycle of a fern :

1. Ferns have small brown dots on the upper side of the sporophyte and are called sori.
2. The singular unit of sori is called sorus.
3. Each sorus consists of several sporangium.
4. Each sporangium contain a number of haploid spores which have been FORMED as a result of meiosis.
5. On maturity this sporangium ruptures releasing these spores.
6. When TWO spores fall on moist soil, the germinate and grow into a hard shaped thalloid structure.
7. The thalloid structure is called the PROTHALLUS which is a gametophyte.
8. Both the male sex and the female sex organs develop a prothallus.
9. Each mature anthredia gives rise to a motile sperm and archedia to an egg
10. The sperm mixes in the water and fuses with the egg forming a diploid zygote.
11. The zygote divides and forms into an embryo which develops into a young sporophyte.
12. The development of zygote into young embryo takes PLACE within the female gametophyte.
13. Soon, the the young sporophyte ESTABLISHES its own roots and young leaves.
14. The round sporophyte, hence, develops into a fern plant.