The life cycle starts with the sporophyte, which bears sporangia on sporophylls . Sporangia produce spores through meiosis . These spores germinate to form multicellular, free-living gametophytes . Gametophytes facilitate the transfer of male gametes, antherozoids, which fertilize the egg in the archegonium . The resulting zygote develops into a new multicellular sporophyte (E), continuing the cycle.

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