General Charateristics of Bryophytes

Bryophytes are a group of small, simple, green land-dwelling plants, of which a few are aquatic. Bryology is called the scientific study of bryophytes. People who have a strong interest in examining, reporting, categorising, or studying bryophytes are called Bryologists. 

Bryophytes are also called first land plants. And they have characteristics common to algae and pteridophytes. Bryophytes are called amphibians of the plant kingdom. Moreover, they are called this because they live on the land, but there is a need for water for fertilisation, so they have to be present in the water area as they cannot move. It is avascular (Absence of xylem and phloem) archegoniate (Have female sex organ) plants. 

Classification of Bryophytes 

It is classified into three 

1. Liverworts
2. Hornworts
3. Mosses

Liverworts

In Liverworts, the thallus-like plant body is flat. All the bryophytes included in this class have shape like liver so they are known as liverworts. Rhizoids and scales are present on thallus. Rhizoids are unicellular and unbranched. Scales are multicellular.The sporophyte of Liverworts is completely dependent on gametophyte i.e. it is dependent on  gametophyte for food, water and habitat.

Hornworts

The plant body of hornworts is also flat and identical to that of liverworts. But they have horn-like structures occurring from the flat plant body. Moreover, these horn-like structures are sporophytes.

Mosses

The plant body of mosses is leafy and usually erect.All the Mosses are included in this class. The plant body of mosses is made up of stem,leaves and rhizoid. The Rhizoids present in the plants of this class are multicellular and branched. These rhizoids have oblique septa. The presence of leaves in gametophyte is one of the unique characteristics of Moss. In the plant  kingdom not a single gametophyte has leaves.The sporophyte of mass bryophyta is highly developed while the sporophyte of liverwort is the simplest. The sporophyte of moss is divided into foot, seta, capsule.

General Characteristics of Bryophytes 

• Bryophytes are the modest and most basic land plants.
• The name Bryophytes is derived from two words.  

Bryon= moss Phyton= plant, i.e. they are moss plants

• At present, the phylum Bryophyta includes 960 genera and 2400 species.
• Water is vital for fertilisation.
• There is no actual stem, root, or leaf in a plant’s body. Moreover, by the true stem, root, or leave, we imply roots, stems, leaves with vascular tissue called xylem and phloem, specialised for food and water transport.
• Bryophytes don’t have xylem and phloem, making them unique from other land plants.
• There is no presence of Vascular tissues.
• Bryophytes arise most abundantly in moderately unpolluted areas. Moreover, they are sensitive to air pollution, especially sulphur dioxide.
• In Bryophytes, there’s a presence of Rhizoids.
• If we talk about Sexual reproduction in bryophytes, then it is oogamous.
• Many of the members of bryophytes are less than 2cm long.

Habitat of Bryophytes 

• They are  non vascular terrestrial plants but require water for reproduction. This is why they are also called the amphibians of the plant kingdom.
• Bryophytes are expected mainly in warm and moist areas, especially in the tropics and subtropics.
• Peat moss grows in marshy regions.

Economic Uses of Bryophytes 

• Some mosses provide food for birds, herbaceous mammals, and other animals.
• Species of Sphagnum are a prominent element of peat. Moreover, peat is a blackish or dark brown material that is the remains of plants partly decayed in water. Peat is then dug and dried. In addition, dried peat is mainly used as fuel and for domestic heating purposes.
• Sphagnum mosses can hold water, and because of this, they are used as packing material for the trans-shipment of living material.
• Mosses, along with lichens, are the first organism to colonise rocks and hence they have an important ecological role.
• Mosses form thick mats of the soil, thereby reducing the effect of falling rain and preventing soil erosion. 

Some more General Characteristics of Bryophytes 

• During the shift from water to land, bryophytes developed features that prevented them from drying out.
• One of these was the development of a sterile jacket layer around the male and female sex organs.
• The male sex organs are called antheridia. Moreover, the singular form is antheridium. Antheridium produces the male gametes called spermatids or sperm.
• The female sex organ in the Bryophyte is the archegonium. In addition, it produces the female gamete called an egg. Its plural form is archegonia.
• For fertilisation to occur in bryophytes, during sexual reproduction, the sperms must swim through water to reach the egg inside the archegonium. So, fertilisation in bryophytes generally happens after rain.
• The main plant body of the Bryophyte is haploid and is called a gametophyte because it produces male or female gametes.
• When the male or female gametes fuse, a zygote is formed.
• Moreover, a zygote forms a multicellular body called a sporophyte. In addition, it is called sporophyte because it forms spores. 
• The haploid gametophyte is dominant, long-lived, green, and independent, whereas the diploid sporophyte is short-lived, attached, and nutritionally dependent upon the gametophyte.

Conclusion 

In this article, we have discussed the general characteristics of Bryophytes, classification of Bryophytes, Habitat of Bryophytes, their economic uses and much more. Here, we have focused more to explain each general characteristic of Bryophytes. In this, every concept is covered. This article tried to make concepts more clear and easy for the students. Moreover, students can refer to this article for revising the topic of Bryophytes and their general characteristics.