Final answer:
The statement that terrestrial ferns are homosporous is true, as most of the roughly 12,000 species produce spores of a single type that develop into a heart-shaped gametophyte.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that terrestrial ferns are homosporous is true. Ferns are seedless vascular plants known for their large fronds. In their life cycle, ferns produce spores by meiosis within structures called sporangia found in clusters termed sori on the underside of fern fronds. The produced spores are all of the same type—homosporous—and these germinate to form a heart-shaped gametophyte, or prothallus.
The gametophyte gives rise both to male structures (antheridia) and to female structures (archegonia). While there are a few heterosporous fern species, the majority of the approximately 12,000 fern species are homosporous, including those common in moist and shaded environments.
Terrestrial ferns are homosporous, which means they produce a single type of spore that develops into a bisexual gametophyte. This is in contrast to heterosporous plants, which produce two types of spores (male and female). In homosporous ferns, the sporophyte is the dominant generation and produces spores that germinate into a heart-shaped gametophyte.