What is the Difference Between Unilocular and Plurilocular Sporangia?

Unilocular and plurilocular sporangia are reproductive structures found in algae, responsible for asexual reproduction. The main differences between them are as follows:

• Number of cells: Unilocular sporangia consist of a single enlarged cell that divides to give rise to haploid spores, while plurilocular sporangia consist of a number of cells that divide to give rise to diploid spores.
• Ploidy: Unilocular sporangia produce haploid spores, while plurilocular sporangia produce diploid spores.
• Location: Unilocular sporangia are confined to diploid plants, while plurilocular sporangia are found on both diploid and haploid plants.
• Temperature: Unilocular sporangia are predominantly found in colder temperatures, while plurilocular sporangia are predominantly found in warmer temperatures.
• Morphology: Unilocular sporangia are globular, stalked, pear, or oval-shaped structures with dense cytoplasm and a diploid nucleus. Plurilocular sporangia are elongated, cone-like structures made up of a number of cuboidal cells or compartments arranged in vertical rows.
• Sporomorphogenesis: Unilocular sporangia undergo meiosis to produce haploid spores, while plurilocular sporangia undergo mitosis to produce diploid spores.

Examples of algae with unilocular sporangia include Ectocarpus and Halopteris, while Flagellate algae have plurilocular sporangia.

Comparative Table: Unilocular vs Plurilocular Sporangia

Unilocular and plurilocular sporangia are reproductive structures found in algae. Here is a table detailing their differences:

Both unilocular and plurilocular sporangia help in asexual reproduction and produce flagellated zoospores, which have two flagella, allowing them to move.