Meiosis occurs during spore production in the sporophyte stage of plant life cycles

Steps:

• Identify the plant life cycle stages: alternation of sporophyte (diploid) and gametophyte (haploid) generations.
• Recall meiosis reduces chromosome number from diploid (2n) to haploid (n), producing spores in the sporophyte.
• Locate the stage in the diagram where diploid cells divide to form haploid spores.
• Confirm this as the reduction division point before gametophyte formation.

Why A is correct:

• Option A depicts the sporocyte undergoing meiosis, aligning with the definition of reduction division that halves chromosome number to produce haploid spores.

Why the others are wrong:

• B involves fertilization, which fuses gametes to restore diploidy, not reduce it.
• C shows gametophyte development, a mitotic process maintaining haploidy.
• D represents seed formation, involving mitosis in the embryo, not meiosis.

Final answer: A