Cite This Page To Go Plant Biology Plant Biology  Common
Mistakes  Alternation of Generations  Spores and sporophytes vs
gametes and gametophytes: all these concepts can be confusing.
Luckily, we at Shmoop have vast stores of wisdom to aid our dear
readers. Two things to remember:  1. The words ending in "phyte"
are plants. 2. The reproductive units plants make can be found
at the beginning of the word.  Rather than trying to remember
that spores grow into gametophytes and gametes fuse and grow
into sporophytes, remember that sporophytes make spores and
gametophytes make gametes. Since you know the life cycle is a
cycle, and what goes around comes around, it follows that spores
grow into gametophytes. Spores can’t grow into sporophytes
because that’s where they came from.  Primary and Secondary
Growth  Shoots vs. roots:  Shoots are the aboveground parts of
the plant (except for rhizomes) and are made up of stems and
leaves. Flowers and fruits are also part of the shoot system.
Roots are the defined as the par