Plant pollen is everywhere in springtime, but because it is so small, you probably don't know that what is making you sneeze is a living, breathing, mobile version of the plant that forms half of the it's entire bizarre life cycle.
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- Alternation of generations: a life cycle in plants where an organism alternates between two distinct multicellular stages.
- Gametophyte: the gamete-producing and usually haploid phase, producing the zygote from which the sporophyte arises. It is the dominant form in bryophytes.
- Pollination: the transfer of pollen to a stigma, ovule, flower, or plant to allow fertilization.
- Sporophyte: the asexual and usually diploid phase, producing spores from which the gametophyte arises. It is the dominant form in vascular plants, e.g. the frond of a fern.
