Which of the Following Statements About the Pine Life Cycle

Question

Which of the following statements about the pine life cycle is correct?
A) The pine tree is a gametophyte.
B) Male and female gametophytes are in close proximity during gamete synthesis.
C) Double fertilization is a relatively common phenomenon.
D) Conifer pollen grains contain male gametophytes.

Accepted Answer

Pine trees, like all gymnosperms, have a dominant sporophyte stage. The pollen grains of conifers, including pines, act as the male gametophytes, carrying the male genetic material to the female part of the plant for fertilization. This is in contrast to the gametophyte dominance in some other plant life cycles, the spatial arrangement of gametophytes, or the occurrence of double fertilization, which is characteristic of angiosperms, not gymnosperms like pines.