Name: J.

Tharanieka
Class: S1K5P1

EXPERIMENT 2: PLANT DIVERSITY- BRYOPHYTES AND PTERIDOPHYTES

Tittle
Plant Diversity- Bryophytes and Pteridophytes
Objectives
- To observe the diversity of species in bryophytes and pteridophytes
-To construct scientific drawing of bryophytes and pteridophytes
Introduction
Bryophytes and pteridophytes are two large groups of spores producing terrestrial plants.
Compared to the flowering plants, they have a longer history of evolution.
Bryophytes
There are three main divisions of bryophytes, namely Bryophyta (mosses), Hepatophyta
(liverworts), and Anthocerophyta (hornworts).
Bryophytes are the most primitive among the terrestrial plants. They are non-vascular and are
confined to most areas because they lack well developed tissues for transporting water and
nutrients. Bryophytes have a root-like structure, which is called rhizoid and have no true stem
and leaves. Bryophytes are characterized by clear alternation of generation in its life cycle
where the gametophyte generation is dominant. The male reproductive organ is called
antheridium and produces flagellated sperms(antherozoids). The sperm fertilizes the egg
(oosphere), which is produced by the archegonium that is the female reproductive organ.
After fertilization, the zygote develops in the archegonium to produce sporophyte, which
grows out from the gametophyte. The sporophyte produces haploid spores, which will
eventually give rise to mature gametophyte.
Pteridophytes
Pteridophytes are the only non-flowering seedless plants possessing vascular tissues- xylem
and phloem. This enables pteridophytes to achieve larger sizes than the bryophytes. In the
tropics, ferns may grow up to 18 m (60 ft). A major difference between pteridophytes and
bryophytes is that the diploid sporophyte generation is dominant in pteridophytes. The
gametophyte generation retains two traits that are reminiscent of the bryophyte. Firstly, the
small gametophytes lack conducting vessels. Secondly, as in bryophytes, the flagellated
sperms (antherozoids) require water medium to reach the egg (oosphere), so pteridophytes still
depend on the presence of water for sexual reproduction. Pteridophytes have true stems with
vascular tissues, and also true roots and leaves.
Exercise 8.1 Bryophytes
Apparatus
Compound microscope
Materials
Marchantia sp. – capsule l.s
Marchantia sp. – male gametophyte (antheridium) l.s
Marchantia sp. – female gametophyte (archegonium) l.s
Polytrichum sp. – capsule l.s
Procedures
1. The prepared slides which show the longitudinal sections of Marchantia sp. capsule,
antheridium and archegonium were examined. The seta, foot, sporangium, spores and calyptra
were drawn and labelled.
2. The prepared slides which show the longitudinal sections of Polytrichum sp. capsule were
examined. The operculum, spore, peristome, annulus, calyptra, seta and capsule were drawn
and labelled.

Exercise 8.2 Pteridophytes

Apparatus
Compound microscope
Dissecting microscope
Magnifying glass
Razor blade
Tiles
Materials
Fresh specimens:
Selaginella sp. (Division Lycopodiophyta)
Dryopteris sp. (Division Pteridophyta)
Prepared slides:
Lycopodium sp. – strobilus l.s
Selaginella sp. – strobilus l.s
Procedures
1. The specimens of Selaginella sp. were examined. The dichotomous ranching, types and
arrangement of sporophyll and strobilus were observed.
2. The specimens of Dryopteris sp. were examined. The rhizome, rhizoid, rachis, frond, pinna
ad sorus were drawn and labelled.
3. The prepared slides showing longitudinal sections of the strobilus of Lycopodium sp. and
Selaginella sp. were examined. The sporophyll, sporangium and spore (homosporous or
heterosporous) were drawn and labelled.
Observation

Sporophyl
Sporangium l
Spores

Strobilus of Lycopodium sp. (l.s)

Spores

Sporophyll
 Strobillus of Selaginella sp. (l.s)

Sori
Pinna
Microspores

Microsporangium

Microsporophyll

Selaginella sp.

Strobili

Dryopteris sp.
Discussion
Bryophytes do not have true roots, leaves and stems. Next, vascular bundle are completely
absent. The sex organs are multicellular. Bryophytes lack vascular tissues and unable to
transport water and dissolved substances from leaves to roots. Because of their reliance on
diffusion for transport, bryophytes cannot obtain large body sizes that might be typical of
higher plants. In the process of spore production in the capsule haploid spores are produced by
diploid sporophyte. This happens through meiosis.
Pteridophytes have thick secondary walls and well-developed cuticle and vascular tissues.
Development of leaves occur including enatron, microphylls of megaphylls. Alternation of
generations and sporophytes dominates with gametes formed inside multicellular antheridium
of archegonia.
Conclusion
We were able to observe the diversity of species in bryophytes and pteridophytes. We were
able to construct scientific drawing of bryophytes and pteridophytes.

References
Campbell, N.A., Reece, J.B., Urry, L.A., Wassermen, S.A., Minorsky, P.V. & Jackson, R.B.
Biology. (11th Ed)
https://www.google.com/search?
q=pteridophytes+unique+characteristics&rlz=1C1CHBD_enMY749MY749&oq=pteridophytes&aqs=ch
rome.3.69i57j0l7.6098j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

http://www.biologydiscussion.com/pteridophytes/pteridophytes-and-bryophytes-botany/53000
Questions
Bryophytes
1. State the unique characteristics of bryophytes.
Bryophytes are closely tied to water; they need it to reproduce and survive, and they also hold
water. They are covered in a waxy cuticle which helps the ecosystem they thrive
in. Bryophytes are non-vascular plants, which means they do not have specialized tissues to
move water and materials within the plant

2. How is the transport of substances carried out in bryophytes tissue? 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 

3. What is the process involved in spore formation of bryophytes?

The dominant generation in Bryophytes is Gametophyte. Gametophyte later matures to form
Sporophyte. This Sporophyte after undergoing Meiosis produces spores that are diploid in
chromosomal number and germinate to form a Gametophyte repeating the life cycle.

4. Explain the adaptations of bryophytes to the terrestrial environment.

Adaptions are a waxy cuticle and gametangia. The waxy cuticle helped to protect the plants
tissue from drying out and the gametangia provided further protection against drying out
specifically for the plant’s gametes.
Pteridophytes
1. State the unique characteristics of pteridophytes.
Pteridophytes are the first true land plants. Pteridophytes are seedless and they procreate
through spores. They show true alternation of generations

2. Fern sporophytes have an underground stem called rhizomes. How do you distinguish that
rhizomes are stems and not roots?
Rhizomes are essentially underground modified stems while roots are part of the root system
that put rhizomes under its hood
3. Compare the spores of Lycopodium sp. and Selaginella sp.
Lycopodium sp. has only one size of spores said to homosporous while Selaginella sp. has
both a microspore that grows into the male gametophyte and macrospores that produces
female gametophytes. Selaginella sp. has ligules at the base of each microphyll.

4. Division Pteridophytes is considered to be more advanced than Division Lycopodiophyta.

Explain the advanced characteristics of Division Pteridophytes.
Pteridophytes show a true alternation of generations. The dominant sporophyte produces
spores through meiosis. The gametophyte generation forms gametes by mitosis. The spores
are produced by the sporangia in the spore mother cells. These spores germinate and give rise
to gametophytes.