Final answer:
The correct comparison of life cycles is haploid-dominant in fungi, diploid-dominant in animals, and alternation of generations in plants. Fungi have a mainly haploid life cycle; animals, a diploid life cycle; and plants exhibit both haploid and diploid multicellular stages.
Step-by-step explanation:
To compare the three main types of life cycles in multicellular organisms, let us review each one and provide appropriate examples:
- Haploid-dominant life cycles, mostly found in fungi and some algae, involve organisms spending the majority of their life cycle in a haploid state. The multicellular organism is made up of haploid cells that reproduce through mitosis. During sexual reproduction, haploid cells from two parents form a diploid zygote, which quickly undergoes meiosis to create new haploid cells.
- Diploid-dominant life cycles, common in animals and flowering plants, have a multicellular organism that exists mostly in the diploid state. Gametes are the only haploid cells, and after fertilization, the resulting zygote grows into a diploid multicellular organism.
- The Alternation of generations type, which is a blend of the haploid and diploid extremes, is seen in plants like ferns. Both haploid and diploid stages are multicellular; the haploid stage (gametophyte) produces gametes, and the diploid stage (sporophyte) produces spores through meiosis that grow into gametophytes.
Therefore, based on the provided descriptions, the correct comparison is (b): Haploid-dominant life cycle is exemplified by fungi, Diploid-dominant life cycle by animals, and Alternation of generations life cycle by plants.