Protonema

A protonema (plural: protonemata) is a thread-like chain of cells

that forms the earliest stage (the haploid phase) of the life cycle of
mosses. When a moss first grows from the spore, it start as a germ
tube which lengthens and branches into a filamentous complex
known as a protonema, which develops into a leafy gametophore, the
adult form of a gametophyte in bryophytes.[1]

Moss spores germinate to form an algae-like filamentous structure

called the protonema. It represents the juvenile gametophyte. While
Protonematal cells of the moss
the protonema is growing by apical cell division, at some stage, under
Physcomitrella patens
the influence of the phytohormone cytokinin, buds are induced which
grow by three-faced apical cells. These give rise to gametophores,
stems and leaf like structures (bryophytes do not have true leaves
(megaphyll). [2] Protonema are characteristic of all mosses and some liverworts but are absent from hornworts.

Protonemata of mosses are composed of two cell types: chloronemata, which form upon germination, and
caulonemata, which later differentiate from chloronemata and on which buds are formed, which then
differentiate to gametophores.[3]

References
1. Life Cycle - in a nutshell - bryophyte (https://www.anbg.gov.au/bryophyte/life-cycle-in-nutshell.ht
ml)
2. Reski, R. (1998). "Development, Genetics and Molecular Biology of Mosses". Botanica Acta.
111 (1): 1–15. doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.1998.tb00670.x (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1438-867
7.1998.tb00670.x).
3. Photoreceptors and Light Signalling (https://books.google.no/books?id=cG0oDwAAQBAJ&pg=
PA335&dq=%22Later+in+development,+chloronemata+differentiate+to+caulonemata+on+whic
h+buds+are+formed+which+then+differentiate+to+gametophores%22&hl=no&sa=X&ved=0ah
UKEwjFztSuodLeAhXFkCwKHZV9Cy8Q6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=%22Later%20in%20deve
lopment%2C%20chloronemata%20differentiate%20to%20caulonemata%20on%20which%20b
uds%20are%20formed%20which%20then%20differentiate%20to%20gametophores%22&f=fal
se)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Protonema&oldid=951082242"

This page was last edited on 15 April 2020, at 11:29 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.