Plant Diversity: Bryophytes (Chapter 29-30)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key bryophyte concepts and their aquatic-reproduction dependence from Plant Diversity (Ch. 29–30).

Bryophytes

A group of non-vascular plants (mosses, liverworts, hornworts) that live in moist environments and reproduce using spores; they require water for fertilization.

Non-vascular plants

Plants lacking true vascular tissue (xylem and phloem); typically small and rely on diffusion for transport, often found in damp habitats.

Rhizoids

Hairlike structures that anchor bryophytes and help in water absorption; not true roots.

Gametophyte

The haploid, multicellular stage of the life cycle in bryophytes that produces gametes.

Sporophyte

The diploid, spore-producing stage that grows from the gametophyte and is often dependent on it.

Antheridium

Male reproductive structure in bryophytes that produces sperm.

Archaeogonium

Female reproductive structure in bryophytes that contains the egg.

Sporangium

Capsule in which the bryophyte sporophyte produces and releases spores.

Alternation of generations

A life cycle that alternates between haploid gametophyte and diploid sporophyte generations.

Water-dependent fertilization

Fertilization in bryophytes requires a film of water for sperm to swim to the egg.