Glossary
Alternation of Generations: sexual reproductive cycle in which certain cellsof the multicellular haploid gametophyte divide mitotically to form gametes.Gametes fuse to form the diploid zygote. The zygote develops into the multicellular diploid sporophyte by mitosis. Certain cells of the sporophyte undergo meiosis to form haploid spores, which germinate and develop into the gametophyte.
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Green Algae: photosynthetic eukaryotes; similar to but more complex than plants, to which they are the evolutionary precursor
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Haploid: (n) cells that contain only a single copy of each chromosome.
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Diploid: (2n) cells that contain a pair of each chromosome.
Photoautotroph: an organism that is able to synthesize its nutrient requirements from simple minerals utilizing light.
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Spore: a reproductive cell(s) that can grow into a larger body without being fertilized.
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Zygote: a cell formed by the fusion of gametes.
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