Bryophytes Are ; Examples Are Mosses and Their Relatives

Bryophytes

•Bryophytes are ; examples are mosses and their relatives.

•Where they are found

Biology 11 – Kingdom Animalia – Mrs. Earland

–Thrive in wet environments or in areas where there is lots of rainfall at least part of the year

–Swamps

–Marshes

–Near streams,

–Rainforests

–Along the west coast of bc & states

Biology 11 – Kingdom Animalia – Mrs. Earland

•Unique to bryophytes

–Have usually

–Are small, low-lying, (generally)

–Have , only filamentous

•The only land plants with a !The sporophyte is on the gametophyte. This stems from the in the female sex organ of the gametophyte.

•Groups of bryophytes

–Bryophytes included , , and

•Liverwarts

– than mosses

–Need to live in places that are

–Look like growing along the ground

•Hornwort

–Look like gametophyte of liverwort

–Sporophyte looks like a horn

•Mosses

– are mosses, which are members of the phylum bryophyta.

–Mosses grow most abundantly in areas with water-in swamps and bogs, near streams, and in rain forests.

•Bryophytes lack several critical adaptations to dry places

–Lack water conducting tubes

•In bryophytes, water passes from cell to cell by & by means of surface tension around the stems

•What does this mean?

•What else?

–Bryophytes to keep water from evaporating from their cells

–What does this mean?

•There is more

–

–Roots contain water conducting tubes that enable a plant to absorb and transport water efficiently

– What is their function?

•Rhizoids

–Rhizoid are in fungi, that penetrates the surface of an object; in mosses, a to the ground and absorbs water and minerals from the surrounding soil.

•Protonema

–Protonema is the in mosses that forms during .

•Antheridia

–Antheridum is the in some algae and plants.

•Archegonia

–Archegonium is the in some plants, including mosses and liverworts.

Reproduction

–During at least one stage of their life cycle, bryophytes produce sperm that must swim through water to reach eggs of other individuals.

–Therefore, they must live in places where there is rainfall or dew for at least part of the year

•Role of bryophytes

–Many are pioneer plants, growing on bare rock and contributing to soil development.

–In bogs and mountain forests they form a thick carpet, reducing erosion.

–In forest ecosystems they act like a sponge retaining and slowly releasing water

–They provide habitat for other plants and small animals as well as microorganisms like n2-fixing blue-green bacteria

–Lacking a cuticle and transport tissue they readily absorb whatever is around them and can serve as bio-indicators of pollution and environmental degradation

Biology 11 – Kingdom Animalia – Mrs. Earland