🌱 Plant Kingdom – Bryophytes (Mosses & Liverworts) | NEET 2025 Notes

Introduction

Bryophytes are often called the “Amphibians of the Plant Kingdom” because they require water for reproduction but can survive on land as well. They form a crucial link between algae and pteridophytes. For NEET aspirants, bryophytes are an important NCERT-based topic that often appear in exams with direct questions.

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General Characteristics of Bryophytes

Non-vascular plants (no xylem or phloem)

Plant body is thalloid (undifferentiated into true root, stem, and leaves)

Anchored by rhizoids instead of roots

Reproduction occurs through spores

Life cycle shows alternation of generations (gametophyte dominant, sporophyte dependent)

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Classification of Bryophytes

Bryophytes are divided into three main groups:

1. Liverworts

Example: Marchantia

Plant body is dorsiventral, thalloid

Asexual reproduction: by fragmentation and gemmae

Sexual reproduction: male and female sex organs borne on separate structures

2. Mosses

Example: Funaria, Polytrichum

Gametophyte has two stages:

Protonema stage (creeping, green, filamentous)

Leafy stage (develops from secondary protonema)

Sporophyte consists of foot, seta, and capsule

3. Hornworts

Example: Anthoceros

Sporophyte is elongated and persists for a long time due to basal meristem

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Alternation of Generations (Life Cycle)

Dominant phase: haploid gametophyte

Produces gametes (antherozoids & eggs)

Fertilization requires water – male gametes swim to female gametes

Sporophyte (diploid) develops on gametophyte and produces spores

Spores germinate into new gametophyte

📌 Diagram: Life cycle of Funaria (Important for NEET – always revise this diagram from NCERT)

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Economic Importance of Bryophytes

Soil formation: Mosses help in succession and soil development

Moisture retention: Moss carpets prevent soil erosion

Fuel: Sphagnum (peat moss) forms peat used as fuel

Horticulture: Mosses retain water and are used as packing material for transplants

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NEET High-Weightage PYQs

1. Bryophytes are called amphibians of the plant kingdom because:

a) They lack vascular tissue

b) They live in moist habitats

c) They require water for fertilization ✅

d) Their body is thalloid

2. Gemma cups are found in:

a) Mosses

b) Liverworts ✅

c) Ferns

d) Gymnosperms

3. The dominant phase of moss is:

a) Sporophyte

b) Gametophyte ✅

c) Zygote

d) Embryo

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Quick Revision Notes

Non-vascular, gametophyte dominant

Examples: Marchantia, Funaria, Anthoceros

Require water for fertilization

Gemmae = Asexual reproduction in liverworts

Alternation of generations → key diagram for NEET

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Mock NEET Practice Questions

Q1. Which of the following is not a bryophyte?

a) Marchantia

b) Funaria

c) Anthoceros

d) Selaginella ✅

Q2. In mosses, sporophyte is:

a) Independent

b) Dependent on gametophyte ✅

c) Completely free-living

d) None of the above

Q3. Protonema is the:

a) Diploid sporophyte

b) Haploid gametophyte (juvenile stage) ✅

c) Zygote

d) Capsule

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Final Tip for NEET Aspirants

Bryophytes are small but highly important for NEET 2025. Focus on:

NCERT diagrams (life cycle of Funaria)

Gemma cup of Marchantia

Alternation of generations concept

Revise smartly using these notes and attempt the mock questions daily for accuracy.