Bryophytes Characteristics, Reproduction and Examples

2. What are the main groups of bryophytes?

The main groups of bryophytes are mosses, liverworts and hornworts. 

Bryophytes Review - Image Diversity: mosses liverworts hornworts

3. How is the transport of substances carried out across bryophyte tissues? How is this feature related to the general size of these plants?

In bryophytes, there are no water-conducting or nutrient-conducting structures and the transport of these substances is carried out via cell to cell diffusion. The small size of bryophytes relates to this feature because if there are no conducting vessels, it is not possible for cells to be too far apart from each other (the emergence of  conducting tissues in tracheophytes allowed their increase in size).

4. What is the life cycle type of bryophytes?

As in all plants, the life cycle of bryophytes is diplobiontic (the alternation of generations). In bryophytes, the lasting form is the haploid one. 

• Bryophytes Review - Image Diversity: bryophyte life cycle

5. In general, where is the sporophyte located in relation to the gametophyte in bryophytes? How does the sporophyte obtain nutrients?

In general, the bryophyte sporophyte is a long, tiny stem that grows on the top of the gametophyte. The sporophyte depends complelety on the gametophyte to obtain nutrients. 

• Bryophytes Review - Image Diversity: bryophyte sporophyte

6. Why can bryophytes be considered the “amphibians of the plant world”?

Like adult amphibians, bryophytes live in the terrestrial environment but depend on water to reproduce. For this reason, the nickname is justified.