NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Gametophytes contain both female (archegonium) and male (antheridium) sex organs. They mature at different times in order to increase the chances of cross-fertilisation and genetic variation. The prothallus is the fern gametophyte.

Detailed explanation-2: -Fern prothalli are small, green, often heart-shaped, and bear the archegonia and antheridia where the egg and sperm are produced, respectively. This is the gametophyte generation of ferns and is completely independent of the sporophyte generation.

Detailed explanation-3: -The fully grown sporophyte, what is commonly referred to as the fern, produces genetically unique spores in the sori by meiosis. The haploid spores fall from the sporophyte and germinate by mitosis, given the right conditions, into the gametophyte stage, the prothallus.

Detailed explanation-4: -(c) Prothallus is usually a gametophyte stage in the life of a Pteridophyte. Spore germinates to form a prothalium, it is short lived inconspicuous heart shaped structure with a number of rhizoids developed beneath and sex organs, archegonium and antheridium.

Detailed explanation-5: -A gametophyte is the plant that produces gametes. The fern gametophyte is a small (approximately 5 mm), bisexual, heart-shaped plant called a prothallus.