MediumBiologyHigh School (9–10)GeneralDiversity of Living Organisms › Plant and Animal KingdomsConceptual
A moss grows on a damp wall. Why are the bryophytes called the amphibians of the plant kingdom?
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A moss grows on a damp wall. Why are the bryophytes called the amphibians of the plant kingdom? What would happen to the moss if the wall stayed dry for many months?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Thallophyta: no root, stem or leaf. Bryophyta: no vascular tissue. Pteridophyta: vascular tissue, spores, no seeds. Gymnosperms: naked seeds. Angiosperms: seeds in fruits; monocots have one cotyledon, dicots two.
The worked solution
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Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The name. Bryophytes live on land, but they need water to complete their life cycle, like amphibians.
Step 2. A dry wall. With no water, the moss cannot reproduce. It dries up and turns brown, though it may grow again when the rains come.
Answer: they live on land but need water to reproduce; on a dry wall the moss dries up and stops reproducing.
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