Bryophyte Gametophyte & Sporophyte — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2025The plant body of bryophytes is more differentiated than that of algae. It is thallus-like and prostrate or erect, and attached to the substratum by unicellular or multicellular rhizoids. They lack true roots, stem or leaves. They may possess root-like, leaf-like or stem-like structures. The main plant body of the bryophyte is haploid. It produces gametes, hence is called a gametophyte. The sex organs in bryophytes are multicellular. The male sex organ is called antheridium. They produce biflagellate antherozoids. The female sex organ called archegonium is flask-shaped and produces a single egg. The antherozoids are released into water where they come in contact with archegonium. An unfertilised egg with the egg to produce the zygote. Zygotes do not undergo reduction division immediately. They produce a multicellular body called a sporophyte. In bryophytes, sporophyte is not free-living but attached to the gametophyte and derives nourishment from it. Some cells of the sporophyte undergo reduction division (meiosis) to produce haploid spores. These spores germinate to produce gametophyte.
NTA tests whether students understand that bryophyte sporophytes are DEPENDENT structures—they remain attached to and parasitic on the gametophyte, unlike in higher plants where sporophytes are free-living. The major trap: students confuse bryophytes with other plant groups and incorrectly assume both gametophyte and sporophyte are independent. Remember: in bryophytes, the main plant body is the haploid gametophyte (produces gametes), while the diploid sporophyte (produced after fertilization) is a small, non-photosynthetic attachment deriving all nutrition from the gametophyte. This dependency relationship defines bryophyte life cycles and distinguishes them from ferns and seed plants.
The correct sequence of events in the life cycle of bryophytes is: A. Fusion of antherozoid with egg B. Attachment of gametophyte to substratum C. Reduction division to produce haploid spores D. Formation of sporophyte E. Release of antherozoids into water
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