Question

Why are bryophytes called ''Amphibians of plant kingdom''
1. They are available only in water
2. They live in soil but require water for reproduction
3. Water is essential for their survival
4. No reason

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : They live in soil but require water for reproduction

Explanation:

• Bryophytes are small, non-vascular plants, such as mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.
• They are amphibious in nature and are also called ''amphibians of the plant kingdom'' because these plants can live in soil but are dependent on water for sexual reproduction.

Sexual Reproduction in Bryophytes:

• The male sex organ is called antheridium. They produce biflagellate antherozoids. The female sex organ called archegonium is flask-shaped and produces a single egg.
• The antherozoids are released into the water where they come in contact with archegonium. An antherozoid fuses with the egg to produce the zygote.
• Zygotes do not undergo reduction division immediately. They produce a multicellular body called a sporophyte.
• The sporophyte is not free-living but attached to the photosynthetic gametophyte and derives nourishment from it. Some cells of the sporophyte undergo reduction division (meiosis) to produce haploid spores. These spores germinate to produce gametophyte.

 

• They usually occur in damp, humid, and shaded localities. They play an important role in plant succession on bare rocks/soil. The plant body of bryophytes is more differentiated than that of algae.
• It is thallus-like and prostrate or erect and attached to the substratum by unicellular or multicellular rhizoids. They lack true roots, stems, or leaves. They may possess root-like, leaf-like, or stem-like structures.
• The main plant body of the bryophyte is haploid. It produces gametes, hence is called a gametophyte. The sex organs in bryophytes are multicellular.