Moss Sporophyte Structure & Spore Formation — NEET Biology
📚 Practice ConceptThe sporophyte is differentiated into a foot, seta and capsule. After meiosis, spores are produced within the capsule. These spores germinate to form free-living gametophytes.
Which of the following statements regarding vegetative reproduction and early life cycle stages in bryophytes are correct? S1: Vegetative propagation in mosses primarily occurs by fragmentation and budding in the secondary protonema. S2: Gemmae are green, multicellular, asexual buds, which are haploid and develop in small receptacles called gemma cups in liverworts. S3: The gemmae produced in liverworts, upon detachment, germinate to form new independent sporophytes. S4: The protonema stage, which develops directly from spores in mosses, is a haploid, creeping, green, branched, and filamentous stage. S5: Spores are produced in the capsule of the liverwort sporophyte following mitosis, and these germinate to form new free-living gametophytes.
View solution & NCERT explanation
Correct answer: C — S1, S2, S4 only
This question assesses knowledge of vegetative reproduction and early life cycle stages in bryophytes, specifically liverworts and mosses. S1: Vegetative reproduction in mosses is indeed by fragmentation and budding in the secondary protonema. This statement is correct. S2: Gemmae are described as green, multicellular, asexual buds that develop in gemma cups. Since they arise from the haploid gametophytic thallus of liverworts, they are also haploid. This statement is correct. S3: Gemmae germinate to form new individuals, which are new gametophytes, not sporophytes. Therefore, this statement is incorrect. S4: The protonema stage in mosses develops directly from a spore, is a haploid part of the gametophyte, and is described as a creeping, green, branched, and frequently filamentous stage. This statement is correct. S5: Spores in the capsule of the liverwort sporophyte are formed after meiosis (reduction division), not mitosis. These spores then germinate to form free-living gametophytes. Therefore, this statement is incorrect. Based on the analysis, statements S1, S2, and S4 are correct. Therefore, option C is the correct answer because it accurately identifies the correct statements.
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