The difference between apogamy and apospory lies in their reproductive processes. Apogamy involves the development of a sporophyte without fertilization, while apospory involves the development of a gametophyte from a somatic cell without meiosis. In both the apogamy and apospory process the formation of gametes does not take place.

In this article, we will cover the difference between apogamy and apospory along with some similarities in detail.

Difference Between Apogamy and Apospory

Apogamy Meaning

Apogamy is a type of asexual reproduction in plants where an embryo develops without fertilization. This process bypasses the fusion of sperm and egg, resulting in offspring genetically identical to the parent plant. In some cases, apogamy can lead to the formation of a haploid embryo (like in some ferns), but more commonly, it results in a diploid embryo because mitotic cell division occurs without meiosis. Apogamy can occur in both flowering and non-flowering plants. Farlow first discovered this process in 1874.

Apogamy Examples

Examples of apogamy include certain ferns, where sporophytes develop from gametophytes without fertilization, and some plants like dandelions, where seeds germinate into new plants without the need for pollination or fertilization.

Apospory Meaning

Apospory is another asexual reproductive strategy in plants. Here, a diploid gametophyte develops directly from a sporophyte cell, bypassing meiosis (the cell division that halves the chromosome number to create spores). Since the gametophyte develops from the sporophyte tissue, both generations share the same ploidy level (diploid). This process is primarily observed in bryophytes but can also occur in some ferns. Druery first documented apospory in 1884.

Apospory Examples

Examples of apospory include the formation of gametophytes in ferns from somatic cells, and the development of embryo sacs in flowering plants from nucellar cells.

Difference Between Apogamy and Apospory

The differences between Apogamy and Apospory are as follows: