Talk:Prothallium

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The haploid spores fall from the sporophyte and germinate by mitosis, given the right conditions, into the gametophyte stage, the prothallus. (I, a layman, quote.) But isn't mitosis exactly the separation of two sets of chromosomes into two haploids? Aren't we talking about fertilisation here into a gametophyte stage, or else the spores are still sporophytic at first. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.152.7.211 (talk) 09:07, 22 May 2008 (UTC)

No meiosis is the reduction division that creates haploid cells from diploid cells. All that mitosis does is to duplicate the existince chromosomes, regardless of whether the cell is haploid or diploid. Meiosis produces the spores, but that is the only point in a typical plant life cycle where meiosis occurs. --EncycloPetey (talk) 13:34, 22 May 2008 (UTC)