Britannica
Sources used in this answer
What role does the antheridium play in bryophyte reproduction?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Bryophyte
Bryophyte moss growing on oak trees.
In bryophytes, the antheridium serves as the male sex organ responsible for the production of sperm. It is a saclike structure, typically attached to the gametophyte by a slender stalk, and is enclosed by a jacket of sterile cells.12
The role of the antheridium in reproduction involves the following process:
- Sperm Production: Each antheridium contains numerous cells that mature into biflagellate sperm.13
- Release: When the plant is wet—such as during rain or heavy dew—the jacket of the mature antheridium ruptures, releasing the sperm into the water.13
- Fertilization: Because bryophyte sperm are motile and flagellated, they rely on this external water to swim in a corkscrew pattern toward the archegonium, the female sex organ. The sperm are guided by a fluid diffused from the archegonium's neck canal, eventually reaching and fertilizing the egg to form a diploid zygote.12
This reliance on water for gamete transport is a key feature of the bryophyte life cycle.2