Comparison of Germination Between Fern Spores and Spermatophyte Pollen
蕨类植物孢子与种子植物花粉萌发的比较

Fern spores and spermatophyte pollen have major roles in plant sex reproduction. As the male gametophyte, pollen delivers sperm to the embryo sac for fertilization by pollen-tube polarized growth. The fern spore, the original cell of the gametophyte, carries out asymmetrical mitosis to produce a large cell and a small cell. The small cell geminates to a rhizoid by tip growth, and the large cell further divides and develops to become a prothallus( the fern gametophyte). Fern spores and pollen are metabolically quiescent cells, and their germination is affected by various environmental factors. Moreover, the germination of fern spores and pollen probably has similar molecular regulated mechanisms in cell division, polarity establishment and energy metabolism. This paper gives an overview of the different and conserved features of fern spores and spermatophyte pollen germination.