EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Prothallus is the free-living, multicellular, inconspicuous, haploid, photosynthetic, thalloid gametophyte of pteridophytes . It bears unicellular rhizoids for attachment to substratum. The requirement for damp and moist places is due to the requirement of water for fertilisation.

Detailed explanation-2: -Prothallus of pteridophytes is free–living, mostly photosynthetic small multicellular and inconspicuous. The gametophytes (prothallus) produces the male sex organs called antheridia and female sex organs called archegonia.

Detailed explanation-3: -Prothallus of fern is flat, green, autotrophic, cordate (heart shaped), dorsiventral, about 1/8 to 113 inch in size (5-l0mm), free living independent, nonvascular gametophyte. Prothallium or prothallus is usually the gametophyte stage in the life cycle. The prothallium develops from a germinating spore.

Detailed explanation-4: -The prothallus is the fern gametophyte. It is a green, photosynthetic structure that is one cell thick, usually heart or kidney shaped, 3–10 mm long and 2–8 mm broad.

Detailed explanation-5: -A prothallus, or prothallium, (from Latin pro = forwards and Greek (thallos) = twig) is usually the gametophyte stage in the life of a fern or other pteridophyte. Occasionally the term is also used to describe the young gametophyte of a liverwort or peat moss as well.