BIO112 Gymnosperms and Angiosperms Lab

Learning Objectives
• Be able to identify stages of the alternation of generations
• Know the ploidy level of each structure
• Know the function of each structure
• Categorize unknown gymnosperm and angiosperm specimens to Phylum based on
observed characteristics

Introduction
Plants are classified based on the presence or absence of vascular tissue and seeds.
Gymnosperms and Angiosperms are vascular plants that have seeds. Angiosperms additionally
have flowers, fruit, and seeds with endosperm. Remember that the body alternates between
haploid and diploid generations.

Materials
• Posters
• Slides
o Pinus ovulate (female) cone l.s.
o Pinus mature embryo l.s.
o Pinus staminate (male) cone l.s.
o Pinus mature pollen grain
o Pine needle, c.s.
• Various gymnosperm specimens
• Images of gymnosperms (on PowerPoint or printed out)
• Various angiosperm specimens
• Lily
• Dissecting scope
• Wet mount
o Slides
o Cover slips

Procedures for Gymnosperms

Branches of conifer trees have been provided for you to examine. This is the sporophyte plant
body (generation). Look for cones, or strobili, near the branch tips. Cones are mostly the
sporophyte plant body, but each contains the small and inconspicuous gametophyte plant
bodies (generation). Conifer trees are monoecious. Therefore, they have both male and
female cones on the same tree. Generally, male cones are born on the lower branches, while
female cones are born on the upper branches

Gymnosperms include the Phylum Coniferophyta, Phylum Cycadophyta, Phylum Ginkgophyta,

and Phylum Gnetophyta.

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Phylum Coniferophyta (conifers)

The Pollen Cone (male cone, microsporangiate cone or male strobilus)

Examine a prepared slide of a longitudinal section of a Pinus staminate cone l.s. using a dissecting
scope. Notice that it consists of a series of microsporophylls along a central axis. The slide may
be mislabel “mature” pollen grains.

1. Illustrate and Label the following: the microsporophylls, the microsporangium (pollen sac) on
the lower surface, and immature pollen grains (also called immature male gametophyte or
microgametophyte).

a. Which generation (gametophyte or sporophyte) is the overall pollen cone?

b. Is the pollen cone diploid or haploid?

c. What occurs in microsporangia (mitosis or meiosis?)? What is produced?

d. Which generation are the microspores?

e. Is the microspores diploid or haploid?

2. Examine the mature pollen grains from Pinus. Make a dry mount of mature pollen grains.
Or view the Pinus mature pollen grains prepared slide. View with a light microscope. Illustrate
a pollen grain. Notice the wings or air bladders, which are inflated portions of the outer male
gametophyte wall. Illustrate and label a pine pollen grain and wits wings.

a. Which generation is the pollen grain?

b. Is the pollen grain diploid or haploid?

c. Identify the air bladders on the pollen grains. What is their function?

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The Ovulate Cone (female cone, megasporangiate cone or female strobilus)

The female cone is more complex than the male cone. It is composed of ovuliferous scales,
each modified determinate branch system properly known as seed-scale complexes. Each
seed-scale complex consists of the ovuliferous scale or megasporophyll—which bears two
ovules on its upper surface—and a subtending sterile bract. The ovuliferous scales (branches)
are arranged spirally around the cone axis.

Obtain a prepared slide of a Pinus ovulate 1st year l.s. cone. Use a dissecting scope to observe
the following. On each ovulate scale is an oval bulge located near the point of attachment to
the axis. An ovule is a megasporangium that is surrounded by a special sheath of tissue, the
integument with an opening micropyle facing the cone axis. Inside each megasporangium is a
megasporocyte (megaspore mother cell will undergo meiosis). If fertilized, the ovule and the
integuments will develop into the seed.

1. Illustrate and Label the following: cone axis, bract, ovuliferous scale or megasporophyll,
ovule including the nucellus (megasporangium), integument (future seed coat), and micropyle

a. Which generation is the ovulate cone?

b. Is the ovulate cone diploid or haploid?

c. What occurs in megasporangium (mitosis or meiosis?)? What is produced?

d. Which generation are the megaspores?

e. Is the megaspores diploid or haploid?

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Examine a prepared slide of a Pinus mature embryo l.s. using a dissecting scope. Illustrate and
Label the following: megagametophyte (remnant nutritive tissue); embryo (with cotyledons,
two or more), shoot apical meristem and root apical meristem, and seed coat (integument).

a. Which generation is the embryo?

b. Is the embryo diploid or haploid?

Observe the images at the numbered stations. At each station identify which phylum the
sample is from. Your choices are Phylum Coniferophyta (conifers), Phylum Cycadophyta,
Phylum Ginkgophyta, and Phylum Gnetophyta.

1. Station 1 (either pictures or live specimen).

a. This specimen belongs to which phylum.

b. What are two characteristics to identify this phylum?

2. Station 2 (either pictures or live specimen).

a. This specimen belongs to which phylum.

b. What are two characteristics to identify this phylum?

3. Station 3 (either pictures or live specimen).

a. This specimen belongs to which phylum.

b. What are two characteristics to identify this phylum?

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4. Station 4 (either pictures or live specimen).
a. This specimen belongs to which phylum.

b. What are two characteristics to identify this phylum?

5. Station 5 (either pictures or live specimen).

a. This specimen belongs to which phylum.

b. What are two characteristics to identify this phylum?

6. Station 6 (either pictures or live specimen).

a. This specimen belongs to which phylum.

b. What are two characteristics to identify this phylum?

All angiosperms belong to the phylum Anthophyta. Angiosperms have two key adaptations:
flowers and fruit.

Procedures for Angiosperms

Floral Structure (live specimens)

a. What is the difference between a flower and an inflorescence?

b. Which generation is the gross structure of a flower?

a. Is the overall flower diploid or haploid?

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1. Closely examine the lily flowers. Obtain a lily flower and identify the floral structures
present. Illustrate and label a whole (non-dissected) lily flower structures: pedicel, receptacle,
sepals (collectively the calyx), petals (collectively the corolla), stamens (anther and filament),
and carpels (stigma, style and ovary). If the sepals and petals have similar appearance to one
another, they are collectively termed tepals. Save your flower for later dissection.

a. Is this a eudicot or monocot?

Gently remove the sepals and petals. The outermost structures you should now be able to see
are the stamens. These are the male portion of the flower and surround the stalk-like carpel in
the center.

Continue to use your lily flower. Remove a stamen for your lily flower. Illustrate and label the
following structures: filament and anther. Save your remaining flower for further dissection.

The stamen represents a microsporophyll, with a filament and an anther containing four
microsporangia. Make a thin section in the cross section through an anther from a lily. A thin
section is a very thin slice of the specimen. Place it on a microscope slide and observe it under
the dissecting microscope. Illustrate and label: microsporangia (pollen sacs), and immature
microgametophytes (immature pollen grains).

Collect pollen from the lily flower and prepare a dry mount slide. Use a compound microscope.
Illustrate a lily pollen grain (immature microgametophyte).

a. In terms of basic structure, how is the lily pollen grain different from the pine pollen
grain, and what is the evolutionary significance of this difference? [How did pollination
occur in the conifers?]

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The center-most portion of the flower is the pistil. This is the female reproductive structure of
the flower. The pistil has a swollen base known as the ovary and an elongated style ending in the
sticky stigma at its tip. Select the most mature lily flowers. These are the open and pollen-
producing flowers. Carpels are structures in a flower that produce ovules and are enclosed in
the ovaries. A flower can have more than one carpel; an ovary can contain more than one ovule.

You have already removed all the other floral whorls from the pistil. Illustrate and label the
following structures: stigma, style, ovary, and receptacle.

Cut the ovary lengthwise and examine it under the dissecting microscope. Sketch what you
observe and label the ovules.

a. What will the ovules develop into?

b. What will the ovary develop into?

There was a table of characteristics of monocots and eudicots in our lecture. Use this to answer
the following.

8. Station 8 (either pictures or live

specimen).
a. This specimen belongs to which
phylum? 10. Station 10 (either pictures or live
specimen).
a. Is this a monocot or eudicot?
b. What are two characteristics to
identify this phylum?
11. Station 11 (either pictures or live
specimen).
c. Is this a monocot or eudicot? a. Is this a monocot or eudicot?

9. Station 9 (either pictures or live 12. Station 12 (either pictures or live

specimen). specimen).
a. Is this a monocot or eudicot? a. Is this a monocot or eudicot?

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