This document provides information about bryophytes. It begins with acknowledging the course coordinators for the Academic Writing course. It then defines bryophytes as the simplest non-vascular plants found between algae and ferns. Bryophytes are described as having a gametophyte dominant life cycle and include liverworts, hornworts, and mosses. Their structures and life cycles are explained, including sexual reproduction through antheridia and archegonia leading to a sporophyte generation. Bryophytes are described as having alternation of generations and economic importance as soil binders and sources of fuel. References and positive feedback on the course are provided at the end.

1. Course - Academic Writing
Application Number –
4d4aedc0e92111e992bfcb5fa4bbed35
Name - Dr. Nisha Verma (AW Learner)
College - Government Degree College, Bilaspur (Rampur) Uttar Pradesh.
Affiliated with MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

2. Acknowledgment
I would like to thanks Dr. Ajay Semalty
Sir, MOOC Course Coordinator
(Academic Writing) and Dr. Mona
Semalty Madam for organizing this
course on Swayam Portal. This course
help me to improve my academic writing
skills.

3. What are Bryophytes……?
Bryon-Moss
Phyton-Plant
Sphagnum

4. General Characters
• Simplest and primitive non-vascular plants of group
Embryophyta.
• Occupy the position between Thallophyta and
Pteridophyta.
• Main plant body is gametophyte.
• Plant body is composed of parenchymatous cell only.
• “Liliputians of Plant Kingdom”
• “Amphibians of Plant Kingdom”.

5. Habitat
• Moist soil
• Damp rocks
• In ravines
• Tree trunk
• Logs of wood
• Wet walls

6. On Tree Trunk On Rock
On Wall On Tree

7. Classification
• Hepaticopsida (Liverworts)
Riccia, Marchantia, Pellia
• Anthocerotopsida (Hornworts)
Anthoceros
• Bryopsida (Mosses)
Sphagnum, Pogonatum,
Polytrichum , Funaria

8. Plant body of Bryophyte are of two type
Liverworts or Thalloid Moss
Riccia Funaria

9. Liverworts Moss
Dorsal Surface Ventral Surface
Riccia

10. Rhizoids
Roots are absent. On the
ventral surface, rhizoids
are present in place of
roots.
Rhizoids are of two
types:
1. Smooth walled
2. Tuberculate Rhizoids
Scales
Position –Present along
the margins (Riccia)
sometimes also present
on ventral surface of the
thallus (Marchantia).
Function- Protection of
growing regions of the
thallus.

11. Internal Structure
The thallus is internally differentiated into upper,
assimilatory (photosynthetic) zone and lower, storage
zone. The assimilatory zone consists of air chambers,
pores and assimilatory filaments.
V.T.S. of Riccia
V.T.S. of Marchantia

12. Marchantia Sphagnum
Anthoceros Plagiochasma

13. Vegetative Reproduction
• Fragmentation
• Adventitious branches
• By death and decay of
the older parts of the
thallus
• Tuber formation
• Gemma cup
Tuber formation
Gemma cup

14. Sexual Reproduction
Antheridium
Archegonium
Jacket layer
Androcyte
cells
stalk
Cover cells
Neck
canal
cells
Venter
canal cell
Egg cell
stalk

15. Antheridium Archegonium
Antherozoid Egg cell
Fertilization
Zygote
Embryo
Sporophyte
The mature antheridium dehisces
and releases antherozoids. They
swim in the film of water and reach
to the neck of the arehegonium. At
the time of fertilization the neck and
venter canal cells disintegrate. The
antherozoid swims upto the
archegonial venter passing through
the neck and fertilizes the egg.
The fertilized egg starts dividing
immediately after the fertilization
without undergoing any resting
period and remains inside the
archegonial wall. It develops into a
multicellular embryo, which
differentiates into the sporophyte.

16. Sporophyte The sporophyte consists of foot,
seta and capsule. The foot is
parenchymatous structure which
remains embedded in the
gametophytic tissue and derives
nourishment for the developing
sporophyte. Seta is the stalk, which
holds the capsule.The capsule is
the main fertile portion of the
sporophytic generation. It has
capsule wall enclosing
archesporium. The archesporial
cells get differentiated into spore
mother cells . The spore mother
cells, after meiotic division, form
spore tetrads having haploid
spores.

17. Alternation of Generation
Protonema Plant Body
(Gametophyte)x
Spores(x) Reproductive
Structures
MEIOSIS Antheridium (x) Archegonium(x)
Spore mother cell(2x) Anterozoids(x) Egg cell(x)
Capsule(2x) Fertilization
Sporophyte(2x) Zygote(2x)
Two well-marked and heteromorphic generations i.e.
Gametophyte and Sporophyte, which follow one after the
other in alternate manner.

18. Economic Importance
• Ecological importance
• Soil binders
• Packing and transporting material
• As a source of fuel
• Pollution indicators

19. References
• https://en.wikipedia.org
• https://byjus.com
• www.google.com
• Singh, Pandey and Jain. “A Text Book Of
Botany”. Rastogi Publication, Meerut.
• Vashishtha, B.R. “Botany For Degree students
Bryophyta”. S. Chand & Company Ltd. Ram
Nagar, New Delhi.

20. Feedback
Academic Writing, A great course, I received lots of
information and knowledge. This knowledge will help
me to implement and improve my writing skills; I
thoroughly enjoyed all the lectures of the course. This
course provides me some great idea for writing. I
congratulate to Dr. Ajay Semalty Sir, Course
Coordinator and Dr. Mona Semalty Madam for their
tremendous efforts. Thankyou very much for the
informative course.

21. Thanks