Mosses Flashcards
Phyla of Bryophytes (refers to all non-vascular plants)
- Marchantiophyta (Liverworts)
- Anthocerophyta (Hornworts)
- Bryophyta (Mosses)
Monophyletic
Linear group of phyla
- The 3 bryophyte phyla divereged independently early in plant evolution before the origin of vascular plants
What is a cladogram?
A diagram that shows ancestral relations without a time frame between taxa
Which bryophyta phyla are the most reasonable models of early plants?
Liverworts and hornworts
Which bryophyte phyla are the most closely related to vascular plants?
Mosses
Charophytes
Division of green algae most closely related to byrophytes
- Aquatic algae
Bryophyte evolution
- Bryophytes were the first plants for 100 million years that terrestrial communities existed
- Then vegetation began to take on a taller profile for better access to light, therefore vascular tissue developed
What does a gametophyte consist of?
- Gamete producing structures, the gametophores
- Root-hair-like rhizodes
- Haploid
- Photosynthetic
Moss reproduction
- Gametes produced in Gametangia
- Dioecious with separate male and female gametophores
- Female produces a vase-shaped Archegonium with a single egg
- Male produces elongated antheridia with many flagellated sperm
- Sperm need at least a small amount of water to disperse and ‘swim’ to female
What is the dominant form in a moss?
Gametophyte, haploid is dominant over diploid sporophyte
Sporophyte
- Diploid, less dominant, moss structure that is only present part of the year
Homosporous
Bryophytes have spores that are all the same size
How do mosses grow?
Spores germinate in favourable habitat and grow by mitosis into masses of branched 1 cell thick filaments called protonemata
Mitosis
Produces more haploid
Meiosis
Produces spores
What is a protonemata?
Mass of green, branched, one-cell thick filaments that produce meristems when sufficient resources are available
What is a meristem?
Region of active cell division that generate gametophytes
How do sperm find the archegonia?
Chemotaxis
- they follow chemical attractants
What is the Zygote?
Young sporophyte that is retained and nourished by the parent gametophyte 9placental nutritive cells transport materials from parent to embryos)
Liverwort and Hornwort reproduction?
Simple sporophytes that consist of a short stalk (Seta) bearing round sporangia which contain the developing spores and have a nutritive foot embedded in the gametophyte tissues
- Seta is not elongated, protected inside
What are Rhizoids?
Multicellular filaments that anchor bryophytes
- Not composed of tissues
- Not photosynthetic
- No specialized conducting cells
- No primary role in water and mineral absorption
What 2 features make the sporophyte?
- Seta (Stalk)
- Sporangium (holds spores)
Why are moss leaves so thin?
Being one cell thick situates all cells close to water and dissolved minerals
How is water and nutrient transport accomplished in gametophores?
By external transport
- sometimes by costas