Moss Life Cycle & Reproduction — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2025Vegetative reproduction in mosses is by fragmentation and budding in the secondary protonema. In sexual reproduction, the sex organs antheridia and archegonia are produced at the apex of the leafy shoots. After fertilisation, the zygote develops into a sporophyte, consisting of a foot, seta and capsule. The sporophyte in mosses is more elaborate than that in liverworts. The capsule contains spores. Spores are formed after meiosis. The mosses have an elaborate mechanism of spore dispersal. Common examples of mosses are Funaria, Polytrichum and Sphagnum.
NTA tests moss reproduction by asking students to identify examples (Funaria, Polytrichum, Sphagnum) and distinguish between vegetative (fragmentation, budding in secondary protonema) and sexual reproduction (antheridia, archegonia producing sporophyte). Students often confuse moss sporophytes with liverwort sporophytes—remember moss sporophytes are MORE elaborate with distinct foot, seta, and spore-containing capsule. The key trap: mixing up which organs produce sex cells (antheridia = male, archegonia = female) and forgetting that spores form AFTER meiosis in the capsule. Always link the moss example name with its specific reproductive structure when answering.
This paragraph was tested 2 times in NEET.
Match List-I with List-II: List-I (Group) A. Pteridophyte B. Bryophyte C. Angiosperm D. Gymnosperm List-II (Example) I. Salvia II. Ginkgo III. Polytrichum IV. Salvinia
Match List-I with List-II List-I: a) Chlamydomonas b) Cycas c) Selaginella d) Sphagnum List-II: (i) Moss (ii) Pteridophyte (iii) Alga (iv) Gymnosperm Choose the correct answer: [NEET 2022 Phase 2]
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