The life cycle of nonvascular plants involves the alternation of generation between the gametophytic phase and the sporophytic phase. The gametophytic phase is the prominent phase whereas the sporophytic phases depend upon the gametophytic phase. The gametophytic phase is the haploid generation and the sporophytic phase is the diploid generation. The plant body in which the true root, stem and leaves are absent. The roots are replaced by the presence of rhizoids and they also lack the vascular strands for conduction. The gametophytic generation produces the male and female gametophyte which bears the antheridium and the egg respectively. The fertilization between the male and female gametes occurs resulting in the formation of the zygote. The zygote then develops to embryo which then matures into sporophyte. In the mature sporophyte the meiosis occurs in the sporangium giving rise to the haploid spores. These spores on germination give rise to haploid multicellular gametophyte again completing the life cycle.
