BIO 102 INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL BIOLOGY

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UNIT 3 BRYOPHYTES

1.0 INTRODUCTION

In the last Unit, we studied algal morphology and habits including their
general characteristics. We have learnt that algae are mostly aquatic in
habitat. In the course of evolution, the first land plants presumed to have
evolved from green algae. In this unit, we shall be looking at Bryophytes
which are considered to be the first land plants.

1.0 MAIN CONTENT

1.1 Bryophytes

During the course of evolution, a change from aquatic habitat to terrestrial habitat occurred
and the only primitive land plants evolved. These are known as bryophytes. Although
bryophytes colonize terrestrial habitats but they are still dependent on water for completion
of their life cycle. They produce motile male gametes which require a thin film of water for
their motility to reach the non-motile female gamete to accomplish fertilization.

1.2 General Characteristics of Bryophytes

Bryophytes lack roots and do not have vascular system.

Some mosses have a primitive system of tubes that conduct water and
food – conducting tubes are called leptoids.

A single plant is very small, hardly a few cm in size. It seldom grows

large because of lack of supporting tissues.

Bryophytes show two distinct and well defined phases of life cycle,
sexual and asexual which follow each other. The gametophyte is
haploid and produces gametes. The Sporophytes is diploid and
produces spore. The haploid generation alternates with diploid genetic
known as Alternation of generation.

The gametophyte may be thalloid or has an axis differential into stem-

like and leaf-like structures which have xylem and phloem.

The gametophyte is green, photosynthetic and nutritionally

independent, and anchors to the soil by unicellular or multicellular
filaments called rhizoids.

Rhizoids appear like roots but they lack vascular tissues.

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Bryophytes are more abundant in moist tropical areas. They also grow in deserts,
mountains. In dry areas, their growth and activity is restricted to wet season only.

1.3 Morphology of Bryophytes

Bryophyte is mostly divided into liverworts and mosses.

Liverworts

Gametophytes usually are close to the ground.

There are 2 forms of liverworts namely; thalloid liverworts
(gametophyte) and is dorsi-ventral, with upper and lower surfaces.
Leafy liverworts (differentiated into leaf-like and stem-like
structures).
Leaves of liverworts are without midribs.
Grows on moist ground or rocks that are also wet. (can be found
in muddy areas.
Examples include Marchantia and Riccia.

Mosses

This is the largest class of Bryophytes.

They are divided into three subclasses: Sphagnidae (Reat mosses)
Andreaide rock mosses) and Bryidae (true mosses).
Example includes funaria.

External Features of Marchantia

Marchantia (Liverwort)

Marchantia belongs to the family marchantiaceae.

The gametophyte bears archegonia on vertical stalked receptacles called archegoniophore.

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It grows in cool moist places along with mosses and increases of burnt grounds.
It is deep green in colour
Has a prominent midrib which is marked on the dorsal surface by a shallow groove and in
the ventral surface by a low ridge covered with rhizoids.
Marchantia is decorous.
The thallus of Marchantia is anchored to the surface by rhizoids which are of smooth
walled.
Scales are also present on the ventral surface arranged on both side of the mid-rib.

External Features or Characteristics of Funaria (Mosses)

Funaria is a very common moss and widely distributed through out the world.
The adult gametophyte is the most conspicuous form of the moist plant.
It consist of a main erect axis bearing leaves which are arranged
spirally
The adult gametophyte is called gametophine. It is small and
about 1-3 cm high.
The leaves do not have a stalk but show a distinct midrib.

The gametophore is attached to substratum by means of rhizoids. They are

multicellular, branched and have oblique septae.
The gametophyte bears sporophyte which has foot, seta and
capsule.
The gametophore develops from a filamentous, green short-lived
protomenue.
The protonema produces buds at a certain stage of development,
which inhate development of upring leafy green axis, the
gametophore.
The species, Funaria hygrometrica is cosmopolitan and is the best
know of all the mosses.

1.4 Adaptation of Bryophytes

Bryophytes are fixed to the soil by thread-like, small structures

called Rhizoids.
Rhizoids are unicellular and unbranched in liverworts but
multicellular and branched in mosses.
They fix the plant to the soil and absorb water and minerals from
it.
The hydroids transfer water from rhizoids to the leaves at the
apex and the food conducting leptoids transport sucrose.

In most other bryophytes, external capillary system takes care of

the distribution of water to all parts of the plant body.

4.0 CONCLUSION
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Having looked at Bryophytes in this unit, bryophytes can be considered
to be the first land plant.

5.0 SUMMARY

In this Unit, you have learnt that:

1. Bryophytes are simple non-vascular land plants and it is believe that

they evolved from green algae because of several common
characteristics.

2. Bryophytes shows two distinct and well defined phase of life cycle ie.
The gametophyte phase and the sporophyte phase. The gametophyte
produces the gamete while the sporophyte produces the spore.

3. The challenges of land environment for a plant are fixation to the

ground conduction of water and dispersal of sperms and spores.
Bryophytes take care of there by developing land adaptations such as
epidermis, cuticles, stomata, air spores, rhizoids, etc.

4. Liverworts (Marchantia) and Mosses (Funaria) are example of

Bryophytes.