Definition of antheridium in English:
antheridium
nounPlural antheridia ˌanθəˈrɪdɪəmˌanTHəˈridēəm
Botany The male sex organ of algae, mosses, ferns, fungi, and other non-flowering plants.
Example sentencesExamples
- The receptacles are reproductive branches and contain many cavities with external pores which contain antheridia and oogonia, then through meiosis, sperm and egg are produced.
- Fern gametes are free-swimming and a thin film of water is required for the male gametes to travel from the antheridia into the neck of the archcgonia to fertilize the eggs.
- Since the asexual gametophyte does not form antheridia or archegonia, crosses to confirm its genotype could not be performed.
- The parent also contains antheridia which produce sperm and an oogonium which produces the egg.
- Notwithstanding their general similarity, the archegonia of mosses differ externally from antheridia in having a longer neck and longer stalk.
Derivatives
adjective
Botany Each antheridial chamber incorporates several antheridia, all of which are developed from one antheridial initial.
Example sentencesExamples
- The oogonial initial penetrates the antheridial initial and rapidly expands to form the oogonium.
- Approximately 50% of the antheridial primordial protoplasts obtained by enzymatic isolation were found to be viable.
- The latter are much more abundant in the antheridial tufts, where they have somewhat swollen heads.
- Studies on development of antheridia and antheridial dehiscence have been conducted by Davie and Hartman.
Origin
Mid 19th century: modern Latin, from anthera (see anther) + -idium (from the Greek diminutive suffix -idion).