Spores are neither strictly male nor female; instead, they give rise to gametophytes which then produce male or female gametes.
In many plants, particularly gymnosperms and angiosperms, two types of spores exist:
- Microspores: These spores develop into male gametophytes, which produce sperm.
- Megaspores: These spores develop into female gametophytes, which produce eggs.
Therefore, spores are more accurately described as precursors to male or female gametophytes, rather than being male or female themselves.
