Question

Moss sporophyte is differentiated in
(a)Stem and leaves
(b)Root, stem, and leaves
(c)Rhizoids, stem, and leaves
(d)None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: The plant body of mosses is made up of stem-like, leaf-like, and root-like structures. The stem-like structure connects sporangium to the gametophyte. Root-like structure transfers nutrients from gametophyte to sporophyte. The leaf-like structure is the center of spore formation.

Complete answer:
Sporophyte is differentiated into foot, seta, and capsule. The sporophyte of mosses is semi-parasitic i.e., it is photosynthetic. They have an elaborate mechanism of spore dispersal. Sporophytes of mosses have feet, seta, and capsules.

Additional Information: -Mosses belong to the group bryophyte. Bryophytes are called amphibians of the plant kingdom as they depend on water for fertilization. Roots are absent in Bryophytes.
-The main plant body is haploid i.e., a gametophyte.
-As fertilization takes place, the zygote does not undergo reduction division immediately rather it initiates a sporophytic generation which is a diploid stage.
-Liverwort and Hornwort (classes of Bryophytes) have a direct mechanism of spore germination whereas mosses have an indirect mechanism.
Rhizoids, stem, and leaves- Bryophytes have their sporophytes differentiated in rhizoids, stem, and leaves.
Root, stem, and leaves- Angiosperms have their body differentiated into root stem and leaves
Stem and leaves- Pteridophytes have their sporophyte differentiated into stem and leaves.
So, the correct answer is `none of the above`.

Note: The presence of leaf-like structure in gametophyte is unique to mosses any other gametophyte in the plant kingdom does not have a leaf-like structure. They have peristomial teeth which help in spore dispersal. Thus, the sporophyte in mosses is more elaborate than liverworts which have their sporophytes completely dependent on the gametophyte.