Final answer:
Plants have a life cycle that involves alternation of generations between diploid sporophyte and haploid gametophyte stages. They switch between sexual reproduction with gametes and asexual reproduction with spores.
Step-by-step explanation:
All plants have a characteristic life cycle that includes alternation of generations. Plants alternate between diploid sporophyte and haploid gametophyte generations, and between sexual reproduction with gametes and asexual reproduction with spores. The life cycle begins with the diploid sporophyte, which produces spores through meiosis. These spores develop into haploid gametophytes, which produce haploid gametes through mitosis.
The fusion of gametes during sexual reproduction results in the formation of a diploid sporophyte, completing the cycle. The alternation of generations allows plants to reproduce both sexually, with gametes, and asexually, with spores, giving them the flexibility to adapt to changing environments. This cycle is an essential aspect of plant biology and evolution.