Image: Foraminifera life cycle

Description: Diagram of the typical life cycle of a foraminifera, showing alternation of generations with the sexually-reproducing gamont and asexually-reproducing agamont. Generations differ in their reproductive modes, size of the proloculus (innermost chamber), overall size, ploidy, and number of chambers. A "schizont" phase may also occur, in which a megalospheric generation asexually begets another megalospheric generation. This latter generation may go on to reproduce sexually, or may repeat the schizont cycle. Gametes are typically undifferentiated. It should be noted that this only represents the stereotyped life cycle of foraminifera—there is an astounding amount of diversity in reproductive mode of foraminifera.
Title: Foraminifera life cycle
Credit: Own work
Author: Hayley Orlowski
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
License: CC0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en
Attribution Required?: No