Question

Choose the correct statement regarding bryophytes:

• A. The liverworts are of two types: thallose and prostrate
• B. The juvenile sporophyte developed from the zygote is known as protonema
• C. The rhizoids in mosses and liverworts are unicellular and multicellular, respectively
• D. The arrangement of leaves in mosses and liverworts is spiral and in two rows, respectively

Answer 1

The correct option is D The arrangement of leaves in mosses and liverworts is spiral and in two rows, respectively

Bryophytes are further classified into liverworts, hornworts and mosses.

The liverworts have thalloid structure and look like lobed liver. Their rhizoids are unicellular. They are further classified into two types: thalloid and foliose. The thalloid liverworts are flat and dorsiventral. The foliose liverworts have a slightly differentiated stem with leaf-like structures which are arranged in two rows.

Protonema is the juvenile gametophyte developed from the spore in mosses. It is a green, creeping filamentous and branched structure which consists of buds that develop into the foliose (leafy) stage. In mosses, the leaves are arranged spirally.

The rhizoids are root-like structures in bryophytes which provide anchorage. The rhizoids in liverworts and mosses are unicellular and multicellular, respectively.