Bryophytes are defined as multicellular, eukaryotic, achlorophyllous, non-vascular plants having cell walls made of cellulose, and their zygotes develop into an embryo. General characteristics of bryophytes are provided here.
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Main characteristics of bryophytes
Habitat
They occur in damp shady places.
Simplest land plants
Bryophytes are the simplest land plants.
Thalloid bodies Bryophytes
They have thalloid bodies that are not differentiated into true root, stem, and leaves.
ROOT
Instead of roots, they have a unicellular hair-like structure called rhizoids
Stem
Some Bryophytes have pseudostem (not the true stem)
Leaves
Some Bryophytes have pseudo leaves
Vascular bundles
They do not have vascular bundles
Amphibians
They are needing Amphibians water for sexual reproduction because their male gametes are flagellated and motile.
Reproduction
They reproduce sexually as well as asexually.
Alternation of generation (life cycle)
Saprophytes show metamorphic alternation of generation. Its life cycle consists of two types of a generation which alternation with each other.
- Gametophyte generation
- Sporophyte generation
Gametophyte generation
The gametophyte generation reproduces sexually by producing male and female gametes, these two fuses to form a zygote, which develops into an embryo. This gives rise to the sporophyte.
Sporophyte generation
Spores are produced in sporophyte after meiosis. Each spore germinates into a gametophyte
Groups of bryophytes
Bryophytes are classified into three groups
Hepatica (liverworts)
Example
Merchant have dichotomously branched dorsoventrally thalloid structure
Music (mosses)
Fun aria having rhizoids pseudostem and leaves.
Anthocerotae (hornworts)
Example
Anthoceros having horn like capsules.
