Abstract <p>The lipid fatty acids (FA) composition changes significantly during the generations alternation in higher plants (Embryophyta). However, these changes have not previously been examined within a systematic phylogenetic framework. This review summarizes the characteristics of the gametophytes and sporophytes FA profiles of mosses, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms, focusing on acyl chain length, degree of its unsaturation and the presence of rare FAs in relation to life cycle and ecological characteristics. It has been shown that the mosses and ferns gametophytes are characterized by the greatest diversity of FAs, including a wide range of very-long-chain and acetylenic FAs, which likely ensure the maintenance of membrane homeostasis and stress resistance in small, dehydration-prone, free-living haploid forms. In contrast, the highly reduced male gametophytes of seed plants have a relatively simple FA composition and a relatively high saturation coefficient, which is consistent with the demands of rapid polar growth of the pollen tube and a narrow range of specialized functions. A comparative analysis also revealed that the gametophyte and sporophyte FA profiles of a single species correlate more strongly with one another than the profiles of different species within the clade do. This suggests a common genetic and metabolic ‘basis’ that is modified by stage-specific regulation rather than fundamentally different lipid biochemistry. Thus, the evolution of generational alternation in Embryophyta was accompanied by coordinated onto- and phylogenetic adjustments of membrane lipids, driven by the divergent ecological niches and functional roles of the haploid and diploid generations.</p>