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antheridium

plant anatomy
Also known as: antheridia

Quick Summary

The antheridium is the male reproductive organ in certain plants, including ferns and mosses. It is responsible for producing sperm, also known as antherozoids. These sperm are motile and use flagella to swim towards the female reproductive organ, the archegonium, to achieve fertilization.123

In some lower vascular plants, the antheridium develops from a microspore and contains mother cells that give rise to the antherozoids. In gymnosperms, the antheridial cell divides to form tube and generative cells, which are contained within the pollen grain. While antheridia are the male reproductive structures in these groups, the term "anther" specifically refers to the part of a stamen in flowering plants that contains pollen.34

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