Question

Which of the following options is/are correct about mosses?

• A. Leafy stage is attached to the soil through unicellular and branched rhizoids.
• B. The predominant stage of its life cycle is the sporophyte stage.
• C. Sex organs antheridia and archegonia are produced in the apex of the gametophore stems.
• D. All of the above.

Answer 1

The correct option is C Sex organs antheridia and archegonia are produced in the apex of the gametophore stems.

Mosses belong to the division Bryophyta under the Plant Kingdom and do not have true roots or stems. They have root-like structures called rhizoids for anchorage which are multicellular and branched.

Their life cycle starts from germination of a haploid spore to form a protonema, which is filamentous or thallus-like. The gametophore plant body grows from the protonema which bears the sex-organs, archegonia and antheridia on the apices.

After fertilization, the sporophyte body undergoes meiosis to give rise to haploid spores which form the gametophytic plant body. Thus, gametophyte is the predominant stage in mosses.