Lecture on Bryophytes and Seedless Vascular Plants

A set of flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to bryophytes and seedless vascular plants.

Bryophytes

Non-vascular plants including liverworts, hornworts, and mosses that reproduce using spores.

Sporophyte

The diploid multicellular stage in the plant life cycle that produces spores.

Gametophyte

The haploid multicellular stage in the plant life cycle that produces gametes (eggs and sperm).

Alternation of generations

The life cycle of plants involving a multicellular haploid phase (gametophyte) and a multicellular diploid phase (sporophyte).

Haploid

A cell or organism that has a single set of unpaired chromosomes.

Diploid

A cell or organism that has two sets of chromosomes, one from each parent.

Gametes

Reproductive cells that fuse during fertilization to form a zygote.

Zygote

The diploid cell formed by the fusion of two gametes.

Water

Essential for fertilization in bryophytes as sperm must swim to the egg.

Vascular tissue

Specialized tissue in plants (xylem and phloem) for the transport of water, nutrients, and sugars.

Seedless vascular plants

Plants that possess vascular tissue but do not produce seeds, like ferns.

Rhizoids

Root-like structures in non-vascular plants that anchor the plant but do not absorb nutrients.

Fern

A type of seedless vascular plant known for its complex life cycle and fronds.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy.

Spore

A reproductive cell that can develop into a new organism without the need for fertilization.

Survival strategy

Mechanisms by which plants adapt to their environments, e.g., non-vascular plants thrive in low-nutrient areas.

Epiphytes

Plants that grow on other plants but are not parasitic.

Fungi

Organisms that do not photosynthesize and are more closely related to animals than plants.

Carnivorous plants

Plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals.

Capsule

The part of the sporophyte that contains and releases spores.