Question

Which statement is correct regarding mosses
A. They have dominant and independent sporophyte
B. Their antherozoids need water for fertilisation
C. Their archegonia produce many eggs
D. Their antherozoids are multi flagellated

Answer 1

Hint: We know that bryophytes exhibit a phenomenon called alternation of generations. It is based on the nature of the gametophyte. Based on this, bryophytes can be classified into two types. They are liverworts and mosses.

Complete step by step answer:
Bryophytes are the simplest of all non vascular land plants. They are more advanced than aquatic algae. Note that even though bryophytes live in soil, they depend on water for their sexual reproduction. Because of this feature, they are often called as amphibians of the plant kingdom.
Mosses are examples of higher bryophytes. The thallus of mosses contains stem like, root like and leaf like structures. Antherozoids are released to the water and fertilisation takes place inside the archegonium. So water is essential for fertilisation to take place.
Gametophyte is the dominant phase in all bryophytes. Sporophyte depends upon independent free living gametophytes. Haploid spores are produced in the sporophyte after meiosis. These spores germinate to form the haploid gametophyte.
Note that archegonia is multicellular in mosses and produces only one egg. Meanwhile, antheridia produces antherozoids that are biflagellated and it reaches the archegonia with help of water.
Moss gametophyte consists of two stages. They are protonema and leafy stage. Vegetative reproduction in mosses takes place by fragmentation and budding in the secondary protonema.

Hence the correct option is B.

Note:
Liverworts are the other type of bryophytes other than mosses. Sporophytes of these plants are differentiated into three parts. They are feet, seats and capsules. After meiosis, haploid spores are produced within the capsule. These spores are released and they germinate into independent free living gametophytes. Asexual reproduction is by gemmae formation.