Enumerate distinguishing characters of Bryophytes.
Bryophytes are called “Amphibians of the plant kingdom” They grow in moist shady places. They require water for their sperms to swim towards eggs, hence the term ‘amphibians’. The plant body is gametophyte so that it produces garnets. The gametophyte is nonvascular so that xylem and phloem tissues are absent. The gametophyte is thalloid in structure or it may be differentiated into stem-like, root-like and leaf-like organs. Gametophyte reproduces sexually. The male sex organs are antheridia and the female sex organs are archegonia. Antheridia produce flagellated motile sperms. Archegonia produce female gamete or egg. Fertilization results in the formation of diploid oospore. It produces diploid sporophyte Sporophyte reproduces asexually and produces haploid spores. They germinate and produce haploid gametophyte. The sporophyte is dependant on the gametophyte. In the life cycle, there is an alternation of generation between haploid gametophyte and diploid sporophyte Bryophytes also show vegetative reproduction by fragmentation, gemmae formation etc
