Antheridium of Bryophytes

Bryophytes
Bryophytes are the non vascular plants that are only embryophytes (they
produce embryo in their life cycle) including a gametophyte and sporophyte generation. The
gametophyte generation is haploid while sporophyte generation is diploid. They are not
considered to have given rise to vascular plants but probably they are first land plants. They are
evolved from green algal ancestors. They comprises of following taxonomic groups:

 Mosses
 Liverworts
 Hornworts

Habitat of Bryophytes
They are small in size but they can be very conspicuous growing as extensive
mats in woodland, as cushions on walls, rocks and tree trunks.

Reproduction in Bryophytes
For sexual reproduction, the moss gametophyte produces gametangia. The male
and female gametangia may be on the same thallus or on separate gametophyte. They may be
monoecious or diecious.

Antheridium
It is a structure in plants which is involved in reproduction. A male reproductive
structure is called as Antheridium. The antheridium consists of a stalk, a sterile jacket and a
spermatogenic tissue. The antheridium sterile jacket has a cap cell which disintegrates when
turgor pressure rises. By mitotic division of haploid spermatogenic tissue inside the sterile
jacket haploid flagellated sperms are formed. Water is required for the transfer of motile
sperms to eggs. Most antheridia are in the terminal disk shaped cluster to facilitate the water
capture for sperm transfer. Sperms are chemotactic and swim through free water up a
concentration gradient of a chemotactic agent to find the open archegonium. The first drop of
water landing in the cup causes the cap cell of antheridium to burst providing an opening for
sperm into drop of water Filaments of cell found between the antheridia is called paraphyses
swell up with water and squeeze the antheridia to help expel sperm into water of splash cup.
The next raindrop to land in the splash cup will splash out a solution containing sperm. They will
swim through rain Water to egg for fertilization. Antheridium has following characteristics:

 It is haploid structure.
 It has ability to produce gametes.
 It produces male gametes called as Antherizoids.
 It is present in in gametophyte of cryptogams like bryophyte.
 Antheridium is also present in some Fungi and Algae.
 It typically consists of sterile cells.

In gymnosperms and angiosperms the gametophytes have been reduced to pollen grains
and in most of these the antheridia have been reduced to single generative cell within the
pollen grain. During pollination, this generative cell divides and gives rise to sperms. The female
counter part to the antheridium is archegonium and in flowering plants is gynoecium. In
Bryophytes, antheridium is borne on a stalk like structure called as Antheridiophore that carries
antheridium at its apex.