The reproductive organs of plants are specialized formations that perform the function of sexual or asexual reproduction. The first is carried out by flowers, anteridia, archegonia, the second - by sporangia. In this short article, we will pay special attention to the latter. So what is sporangia?
General concepts
Sporangia are multicellular (in higher plants) and unicellular (in algae) organs in which spores form. Have you ever seen mold on bread? In it you can distinguish tiny black dots, which are also sporangia. One such sporangia can contain up to 50 thousand spores, each of which reproduces up to hundreds of millions of new spores in a few days! That is why mold reproduces incredibly fast.
Spores in sporangia are like small, coated balls. Horsetail, fluff-shaped, fern-shaped sporangia develop on sporophylls and can be collected in sores (groups) or be single.
Fern propagation
Any fern can be grown out of spores. What are fern sporangia? Mixed spore fern sporangia are of two types: mega- and microsporangia producing mega- and microspores, from which female and male growths are formed. On the underside of a leaf of an adult plant, small tubercles can be seen that are randomly arranged in strokes or rows. In extinct ferns, they were located at the ends of branches. Fern sporangia can form a fringed edge or a solid crust.
For propagation, soruses are collected along with part of the sheet and put in a bag of paper, which is stored in a cool and dry room, to dry. You can store them in the refrigerator and open the bag only right before sowing. The viability of the spores of various species of ferns varies greatly: from several days to 20 years. Spores for sowing are separated in a place protected from drafts. Without opening the package, you need to knock on it, from which the spores will begin to get enough sleep. If this does not happen, then the soruses should be scraped off with a knife. The spores are very small and resemble brown powder in their appearance.
Mushroom propagation
Asexual reproduction of fungi occurs due to special spores that develop on special branches of the mycelium. Spores can be exogenous and endogenous. What are mushroom sporangia? These are special cells that are also called sporangiospores. Exogenous spores form in organs called conidiophores, and spores form conidia. Higher fungi reproduce only by conidia, lower ones most often by spores.
Sporangia are formed on sporangios. These are special branches of the mycelium, which differ in limited growth, greater thickness and other features.
By the way, molds release toxic substances called mycotoxins, which are potent poison that can cause harm to humans and animals. To do this, it is not necessary to eat moldy bread or other food. It is enough to expand the package or open the pan with moldy food and accidentally inhale the spores with air or touch the mold.
We hope that now you understand what sporangia is, and you know that spores are formed in them, by which plants reproduce. Sometimes spores can be poisonous.