1. The stage in the life cycle of plants and algae that produces gametes (sex cells); the haploid generation that alternates with the sporophyte.
Usage: biology; botany; used in the context of alternation of generations in plants

Examples

• In mosses, the gametophyte is the dominant, visible stage of the life cycle.
• The gametophyte produces sperm and egg cells that fuse to form a zygote.
• Ferns have a small, heart-shaped gametophyte called a prothallus.
• The alternation between gametophyte and sporophyte is a key feature of plant reproduction.
• In flowering plants, the gametophyte is reduced to just a few cells within the flower.
• The male gametophyte in seed plants develops into the pollen grain.