what is the difference between a sporophyte and a gametophyte?

A gametophyte is produced during meiosis and is haploid, half the normal number of chromosomes, since when it gets together with a gametophyte from the other sex it will add the 2 haploid and get the diploid or normal number of chromosomes.

A sporophyte is formed during times of poor conditions and is a whole plant. It is diploid and will grow into a plant when conditions improve. It was formed through mitosis.

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All land plants, and some algae, have life cycles in which a haploid gametophyte generation alternates with a diploid sporophyte, the generation of a plant or alga that has a double set of chromosomes. A multicellular sporophyte generation or phase is present in the life cycle of all land plants and in some green algae. For common flowering plants (Angiosperms), the sporophyte generation makes up almost their whole life cycle (i.e. whole green plant, roots etc), except phases of small reproductive structures (pollen and ovule). The sporophyte produces spores (hence the name), by meiosis. These meiospores develop into a gametophyte. Both the spores and the resulting gametophyte are haploid, meaning they only have one set of homologous chromosomes. The mature gametophyte produces male or female gametes (or both) by mitosis. The fusion of male and female gametes produces a diploid zygote which develops into a new sporophyte. This cycle is known as alternation of generations or alternation of phases. In plants and algae that undergo alternation of generations, a gametophyte is the multicellular structure, or phase, that is haploid, containing a single set of chromosomes: The gametophyte produces male or female gametes (or both), by a process of cell division called mitosis. The fusion of male and female gametes produces a diploid zygote, which develops by repeated mitotic cell divisions into a multicellular sporophyte. Because the sporophyte is the product of the fusion of two haploid gametes, its cells are diploid, containing two sets of chromosomes. The mature sporophyte produces spores by a process called meiosis, sometimes referred to as "reduction division" because the chromosome pairs are separated once again to form single sets. The spores are therefore once again haploid and develop into a haploid gametophyte.

A sporophyte is a diploid that produces haploid spores with meiosis. A gametophyte is haploid that produces gametes via mitosis. When he gametes fuse the chromosome number is doubled. The resulting embryo is a sporophyte. It grows and eventually produces haploid spores and the cycle starts again.

Let's look at an example:

A mushroom isn't just the cap you see sticking out of the ground. The cap is the sporophyte. It produces haploid spores and releases them. Let's follow a single spore. It germinates and reproduces via mitosis. Producing a fibrous network of hyphae underground. This is the gametophyte, and it is much larger than the mushroom cap. When two hypae of opposite mating type meet under the correct conditions the haploid cells fuse, producing a diploid sporophyte embryo. This embryo grows into a mushroom. The mushroom produces haploid spores via meiosis and the cycle begins again.

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RE:

what is the difference between a sporophyte and a gametophyte?

can someone define both of them?

What Is A Sporophyte

a sporophyte is a diploid cell (2n) and produces spores (n) which then undergo mitosis to form multicellular but haploid blobs of cells (simply put...) (n) which then undergo mitosis again to form gametes which fuse (fertilization) to form a sporophyte once again.

sporophyte - 2n

MEIOSIS

spore - n

MITOSIS

gametophyte - n

MITOSIS

gamete - n

FERTILIZATION

zygote (sporophyte) - 2n

hope this helps