Part 2 — Bryophyta: Structure, life cycle, reproduction, ecology (Questions 26–50)
Part 2 — Bryophyta: Structure, Life Cycle, Reproduction, Ecology (Questions 26–50)
Q26. Bryophytes are called amphibians of the plant kingdom because:
A) They live only in water
B) They live only on land
C) They require water for reproduction
D) They lack vascular tissue
Answer: C) They require water for reproduction
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – They are not fully aquatic.
- B) Wrong – They do grow on land, but reproduction needs water.
- C) Correct – Motile male gametes (antherozoids) need water to reach archegonium.
- D) Wrong – Lack of vascular tissue is true but not the reason for “amphibians”.
Q27. The main plant body of bryophytes is:
A) Sporophyte
B) Gametophyte
C) Protonema only
D) Embryo
Answer: B) Gametophyte
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Sporophyte is dependent and small.
- B) Correct – The dominant, green, photosynthetic plant body is gametophyte.
- C) Wrong – Protonema is a juvenile stage of moss gametophyte.
- D) Wrong – Embryo is only initial sporophyte.
Q28. In bryophytes, the sporophyte is:
A) Independent and photosynthetic
B) Fully dependent on gametophyte
C) Free-living and autotrophic
D) Absent
Answer: B) Fully dependent on gametophyte
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Not independent.
- B) Correct – Sporophyte depends on gametophyte for nutrition.
- C) Wrong – Cannot survive alone.
- D) Wrong – Sporophyte is present.
Q29. The protonema stage in moss is:
A) Sporophytic
B) Gametophytic and juvenile
C) Diploid and independent
D) Part of sporophyte
Answer: B) Gametophytic and juvenile
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Not sporophyte.
- B) Correct – Protonema is gametophytic, an early stage in moss lifecycle.
- C) Wrong – Protonema is haploid, not diploid.
- D) Wrong – Belongs to gametophyte, not sporophyte.
Q30. Liverworts belong to class:
A) Anthocerotopsida
B) Hepaticopsida
C) Bryopsida
D) Pteropsida
Answer: B) Hepaticopsida
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Anthocerotopsida = hornworts.
- B) Correct – Liverworts = Hepaticopsida.
- C) Wrong – Bryopsida = mosses.
- D) Wrong – Pteropsida are pteridophytes.
Q31. Which of the following is a liverwort?
A) Riccia
B) Funaria
C) Polytrichum
D) Anthoceros
Answer: A) Riccia
Explanation:
- A) Correct – Riccia is a liverwort.
- B, C) Wrong – Funaria and Polytrichum are mosses.
- D) Wrong – Anthoceros is a hornwort.
Q32. In bryophytes, the antherozoids are:
A) Non-motile
B) Flagellated and motile
C) Produced by sporophyte
D) Produced in archegonium
Answer: B) Flagellated and motile
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – They are motile.
- B) Correct – Male gametes in bryophytes are biflagellated and motile.
- C) Wrong – They are produced by gametophyte.
- D) Wrong – Archegonium produces egg cell, not sperm.
Q33. Which of the following structures is diploid in bryophytes?
A) Protonema
B) Antherozoid
C) Capsule
D) Archegonium neck
Answer: C) Capsule
Explanation:
- A, B, D) Wrong – All are haploid.
- C) Correct – Capsule is part of diploid sporophyte.
Q34. The sporophyte of moss consists of:
A) Foot, seta, capsule
B) Root, stem, leaves
C) Rhizoids only
D) Protonema + leafy stage
Answer: A) Foot, seta, capsule
Explanation:
- A) Correct – Moss sporophyte has three parts.
- B) Wrong – Typical sporophyte lacks these.
- C, D) Wrong – Belong to gametophyte.
Q35. The main ecological role of bryophytes is:
A) Fixing nitrogen
B) Forming soil and preventing erosion
C) Providing wood
D) Producing seeds
Answer: B) Forming soil and preventing erosion
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Nitrogen fixation is by cyanobacteria.
- B) Correct – Bryophytes retain water, form soil crusts, prevent erosion.
- C, D) Wrong – They don’t produce wood or seeds.
Q36. In bryophytes, meiosis occurs in:
A) Gametophyte
B) Zygote
C) Sporophyte capsule
D) Antheridium
Answer: C) Sporophyte capsule
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Gametophyte produces gametes by mitosis.
- B) Wrong – Zygote develops into sporophyte, no meiosis here.
- C) Correct – Sporophyte capsule produces haploid spores via meiosis.
- D) Wrong – Antheridium produces gametes by mitosis.
Q37. Anthoceros belongs to:
A) Liverworts
B) Mosses
C) Hornworts
D) Pteridophytes
Answer: C) Hornworts
Explanation:
- A, B) Wrong – Not liverwort or moss.
- C) Correct – Anthoceros is a hornwort.
- D) Wrong – Not a pteridophyte.
Q38. Which of the following bryophytes is used in packing fragile material?
A) Riccia
B) Funaria
C) Sphagnum
D) Polytrichum
Answer: C) Sphagnum
Explanation:
- A, B, D) Wrong – Not used in packaging.
- C) Correct – Sphagnum (peat moss) retains water, used as packing material.
Q39. In moss, the leafy stage develops from:
A) Protonema
B) Capsule
C) Sporophyte
D) Archegonium
Answer: A) Protonema
Explanation:
- A) Correct – Protonema gives rise to leafy gametophyte.
- B, C, D) Wrong – They don’t produce leafy stage.
Q40. Which of the following is true for bryophytes?
A) Sporophyte independent
B) Gametophyte dominant
C) Seeds present
D) Vascular tissue present
Answer: B) Gametophyte dominant
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Sporophyte dependent.
- B) Correct – Gametophyte forms the main plant body.
- C, D) Wrong – Seeds and vascular tissues absent.
Q41. The foot of bryophyte sporophyte helps in:
A) Photosynthesis
B) Anchoring and absorption from gametophyte
C) Producing spores
D) Attracting water
Answer: B) Anchoring and absorption from gametophyte
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Capsule may be photosynthetic.
- B) Correct – Foot absorbs nutrients from gametophyte.
- C) Wrong – Spores are produced in capsule.
- D) Wrong – Not the function.
Q42. Elaters in bryophytes help in:
A) Photosynthesis
B) Spore dispersal
C) Fertilization
D) Absorption
Answer: B) Spore dispersal
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Elaters not photosynthetic.
- B) Correct – Elaters are hygroscopic, help in spore dispersal (esp. liverworts).
- C, D) Wrong – Not related to fertilization or absorption.
Q43. The archegonium of bryophytes produces:
A) Sperm
B) Egg
C) Spore
D) Protonema
Answer: B) Egg
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Antheridium produces sperm.
- B) Correct – Archegonium produces single egg.
- C, D) Wrong – Spores and protonema are later stages.
Q44. Sporophyte in mosses is:
A) Completely free-living
B) Dependent on gametophyte
C) Both independent and dependent
D) Absent
Answer: B) Dependent on gametophyte
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Not free-living.
- B) Correct – Relies on gametophyte for nutrition.
- C, D) Wrong – Not both, and not absent.
Q45. Rhizoids of bryophytes are:
A) True roots
B) False roots, unicellular or multicellular
C) Stomata
D) Xylem
Answer: B) False roots, unicellular or multicellular
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Not true roots (no xylem).
- B) Correct – Rhizoids are simple structures for anchorage and absorption.
- C, D) Wrong – Not stomata or xylem.
Q46. Which bryophyte shows thalloid gametophyte?
A) Funaria
B) Riccia
C) Polytrichum
D) Sphagnum
Answer: B) Riccia
Explanation:
- A, C, D) Wrong – All have leafy gametophytes.
- B) Correct – Riccia has thalloid body.
Q47. Which is the first land plant group to have embryo inside female gametophyte?
A) Algae
B) Bryophytes
C) Pteridophytes
D) Gymnosperms
Answer: B) Bryophytes
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Algae don’t retain zygote.
- B) Correct – Bryophytes retain developing embryo → Embryophyta.
- C, D) Wrong – They evolved later.
Q48. Bryophytes differ from algae in having:
A) Motile gametes
B) Alternation of generations
C) Multicellular sex organs
D) Photosynthesis
Answer: C) Multicellular sex organs
Explanation:
- A, B, D) Common to algae too.
- C) Correct – Bryophytes have multicellular antheridia and archegonia.
Q49. Which of the following produces protonema?
A) Liverworts
B) Mosses
C) Hornworts
D) Pteridophytes
Answer: B) Mosses
Explanation:
- A, C, D) Wrong – Protonema is specific to mosses.
- B) Correct – Protonema is the juvenile moss stage.
Q50. Bryophytes are economically important because:
A) They provide cereals
B) Peat moss is used as fuel and soil conditioner
C) They yield timber
D) They fix atmospheric nitrogen
Answer: B) Peat moss is used as fuel and soil conditioner
Explanation:
- A) Wrong – Cereals are angiosperms.
- B) Correct – Sphagnum (peat moss) forms peat, used as fuel and soil conditioner.
- C) Wrong – No timber from bryophytes.
- D) Wrong – Nitrogen fixation is by bacteria, not bryophytes.