Bryophytes — NEET Biology MCQs with Solutions
Free NEET Biology Bryophytes MCQs with step-by-step solutions (48 questions). Part of Plant Kingdom. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.
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Questions with solutions
Q1 — Bryophytes · easy · theory
Bryophytes are often called the "______ of the plant kingdom":
A. Pioneers
B. Amphibians ✓ Correct
C. Vascular plants
D. Reptiles
Solution: Bryophytes live on land but need water for sexual reproduction — hence "amphibians of the plant kingdom".
Q2 — Bryophytes · easy · theory
In bryophytes, the dominant, photosynthetic, independent phase is the:
A. Sporophyte (diploid)
B. Gametophyte (haploid) ✓ Correct
C. Zygote
D. Protonema only
Solution: The main plant body of a bryophyte is the haploid gametophyte; the sporophyte is dependent on it.
Q3 — Bryophytes · medium · theory
The male and female sex organs of bryophytes are respectively the:
A. Stamen and carpel
B. Antheridium and archegonium ✓ Correct
C. Archegonium and antheridium
D. Anther and ovule
Solution: Antheridia produce biflagellate antherozoids; the flask-shaped archegonium produces a single egg.
Q4 — Bryophytes · medium · theory
In mosses, the first stage of the gametophyte that develops from a spore is the:
A. Protonema (creeping, green, filamentous) ✓ Correct
B. Seta
C. Foot
D. Rhizoid
Solution: A moss spore germinates into a protonema, which then bears the leafy gametophore.
Q5 — Bryophytes · hard · theory
The sporophyte of a moss (e.g. Funaria) consists of:
A. Only a capsule
B. Foot, seta and capsule ✓ Correct
C. Rhizoids and leaves
D. Antheridium and archegonium
Solution: The moss sporophyte is differentiated into foot, seta and capsule; spores form within the capsule.
Q6 — Bryophytes · hard · theory
Which statement about the ecological/economic role of bryophytes is CORRECT?
A. Sphagnum (peat moss) provides fuel and is used as packing material; mosses reduce soil erosion ✓ Correct
B. They are the major food crop
C. They are the chief timber source
D. They fix atmospheric nitrogen like legumes
Solution: Sphagnum yields peat (fuel) and has water-holding value; mosses form dense mats checking soil erosion.
Q7 — Bryophytes · easy · numerical
Vegetative reproduction in liverworts such as Marchantia commonly occurs by means of:
A. Chains of conidia
B. A branched protonema
C. Underground tubers
D. Gemmae produced in gemma cups ✓ Correct
Solution: Liverworts reproduce vegetatively by gemmae, green multicellular buds formed in gemma cups on the thallus.
Q8 — Bryophytes · easy · numerical
Which of the following is a liverwort?
A. Polytrichum
B. Marchantia ✓ Correct
C. Funaria
D. Sphagnum
Solution: Marchantia is a liverwort; Funaria, Sphagnum and Polytrichum are all mosses.
Q9 — Bryophytes · easy · numerical
In bryophytes, the male gametes (antherozoids) reach the archegonia mainly with the help of:
A. Birds
B. Wind
C. Water ✓ Correct
D. Insects
Solution: Bryophyte antherozoids are flagellated and swim to the archegonia through a film of water, which is why external water is essential for fertilisation.
Q10 — Bryophytes · medium · numerical
Assertion (A): Bryophytes are called the amphibians of the plant kingdom. Reason (R): They can live in soil but require water for sexual reproduction.
A. A is false but R is true
B. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
C. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A ✓ Correct
D. A is true but R is false
Solution: Bryophytes live on land yet still depend on water for the swimming male gametes during fertilisation, which is exactly why they are called amphibians of the plant kingdom.
Q11 — Bryophytes · medium · numerical
Which statement about the sporophyte of a bryophyte is correct?
A. It produces gametes directly by mitosis
B. It is not free-living and depends on the gametophyte for nutrition ✓ Correct
C. It is completely independent of the gametophyte
D. It is the dominant, photosynthetic phase of the life cycle
Solution: The bryophyte sporophyte is attached to and largely dependent on the photosynthetic gametophyte for nourishment; it produces spores by meiosis, not gametes.
Q12 — Bryophytes · medium · numerical
Which statement comparing liverworts and mosses is correct?
A. The moss gametophyte is a flat, ribbon-like thallus
B. Mosses have a thalloid, dorsiventral plant body
C. The plant body of a liverwort is thalloid and dorsiventral, closely pressed to the substratum ✓ Correct
D. Liverworts pass through a leafy protonema stage
Solution: A typical liverwort has a dorsiventral thalloid body closely appressed to the soil; the moss gametophyte instead has a filamentous protonema followed by an erect leafy stage.
Q13 — Bryophytes · medium · numerical
Peat, used as fuel and valued by gardeners for its water-holding capacity, is formed mainly from decomposed:
A. Sphagnum (bog moss) ✓ Correct
B. Riccia
C. Funaria
D. Marchantia
Solution: Peat accumulates from partially decomposed Sphagnum in bogs; it is used as fuel and as a soil conditioner because of its great water-retaining ability.
Q14 — Bryophytes · medium · numerical
What is the correct sequence of moss gametophyte development starting from a spore?
A. Spore → prothallus → antheridium → leafy shoot
B. Spore → protonema → bud → leafy gametophore ✓ Correct
C. Spore → leafy gametophore → protonema → bud
D. Spore → seta → capsule → protonema
Solution: A moss spore germinates into a creeping protonema, which bears buds that grow into the erect leafy gametophore carrying the sex organs.
Q15 — Bryophytes · easy
First organisms to colonize bare rocks are:
A. Liverworts
B. Mosses
C. Lichens
D. (1) & (2) both ✓ Correct
Solution: Lichens are the pioneer colonizers of bare rock, and mosses are among the first plants (bryophytes) to establish there, so both together are correct.
Q16 — Bryophytes · easy
For trans-shipment of living material, which of the following is more suitable?
A. Funaria
B. Marchantia
C. Riccia
D. Sphagnum ✓ Correct
Solution: Sphagnum (peat moss) is highly water-retentive and is used as a packing material for transshipment of living plant material.
Q17 — Bryophytes · easy
Which of the following is obtained from Sphagnum as coal?
A. Lignite
B. Peat ✓ Correct
C. Anthracite
D. Bituminous
Solution: Decomposed, compressed Sphagnum forms peat, which is used as fuel.
Q18 — Bryophytes · easy
Bryophyta include:
A. Hornwort
B. Mosses
C. All of these ✓ Correct
D. Liverwort
Solution: Bryophytes comprise liverworts, hornworts and mosses.
Q19 — Bryophytes · easy
Bryophytes are:
A. Reptilians of the plant kingdom
B. (1) & (3) both
C. Amphibians of the plant kingdom ✓ Correct
D. First vascular bundle containing plants
Solution: Bryophytes are called amphibians of the plant kingdom because they live on land but need water for sexual reproduction; they lack vascular tissue.
Q20 — Bryophytes · medium
The body organization of bryophytes has:
A. True root, stem and leaves
B. Unicellular or multicellular rhizoids ✓ Correct
C. Less differentiation than algae
D. (1) & (3) both
Solution: Bryophyte plant bodies are anchored by unicellular or multicellular rhizoids; they lack true roots, stems and leaves and are more differentiated than algae.
Q21 — Bryophytes · medium
The main plant body of a bryophyte is ___A___ that produces ___B___.
A. A = diploid, B = spores
B. A = haploid, B = spores
C. A = diploid, B = gametes
D. A = haploid, B = gametes ✓ Correct
Solution: The dominant bryophyte body is the haploid gametophyte, which produces gametes.
Q22 — Bryophytes · medium
Choose the correct statement:
A. Female sex organ is archegonium which is flask-shaped and produces a single egg ✓ Correct
B. Male sex organ is antheridium that produces flagellate (four flagella) antherozoids
C. Water is required for transport of egg from archegonium to antheridium
D. Sex organs in bryophytes are unicellular and jacketed
Solution: The archegonium is flask-shaped and produces a single egg. Sex organs are multicellular and jacketed, antherozoids are biflagellate, and water carries the male gametes to the egg.
Q23 — Bryophytes · medium
In bryophyta, meiosis occurs:
A. immediately after zygote formation
B. after sometime of zygote formation ✓ Correct
C. in the gametophytic stage
D. during development of gametes
Solution: The zygote first develops into a multicellular sporophyte; meiosis occurs later in the capsule during spore formation, i.e. some time after zygote formation.
Q24 — Bryophytes · medium
Choose the correct statement with regard to bryophyta:
A. Gametophyte is not free-living but attached to the photosynthetic sporophyte and derives nourishment from it
B. Gametophyte is free-living but attached to the photosynthetic sporophyte and derives nourishment from it
C. Sporophyte is not free-living but attached to the photosynthetic gametophyte and derives nourishment from it ✓ Correct
D. Sporophyte is free-living but attached to the photosynthetic gametophyte and derives nourishment from it
Solution: In bryophytes the sporophyte is not free-living; it remains attached to and nutritionally dependent on the photosynthetic gametophyte.
Q25 — Bryophytes · medium
In Marchantia:
A. Male and female sex organs are produced on different thalli ✓ Correct
B. Gametophyte is differentiated into foot, seta and capsule
C. Male and female sex organs are produced on the same thallus
D. Both (1) and (2)
Solution: Marchantia is dioecious, so antheridia and archegonia are borne on separate (different) thalli.
Q26 — Bryophytes · medium
Asexual reproduction in bryophytes does not take place by:
A. Budding in secondary protonema
B. Fragmentation
C. Gemmae
D. Oogamy ✓ Correct
Solution: Oogamy is a form of sexual reproduction; fragmentation, gemmae and budding of the secondary protonema are asexual methods.
Q27 — Bryophytes · easy
Gemmae are:
A. Non-green, unicellular, asexual buds which develop in small receptacles i.e., gemma cups
B. Green, multicellular, sexual buds which develop in small receptacles i.e., gemma cups
C. Green, multicellular, asexual buds which develop in small receptacles i.e., gemma cups ✓ Correct
D. Green, unicellular, asexual buds which develop in small receptacles i.e., gemma cups
Solution: Gemmae are green, multicellular, asexual buds produced in gemma cups.
Q28 — Bryophytes · easy
The predominant stage in the life cycle of a moss is:
A. Gametophyte ✓ Correct
B. Prothallus stage
C. Protonema stage
D. Sporophyte
Solution: The haploid gametophyte is the dominant, photosynthetic stage in a moss.
Q29 — Bryophytes · hard
The gametophyte of a moss is divided into:
A. Two stages; the first protonema stage develops directly from a spore and the second leafy stage develops from spore germination as a terminal bud
B. Two stages; the second leafy stage develops from the secondary protonema as a lateral bud ✓ Correct
C. Two stages; the first protonema stage develops directly from a gamete
D. Two stages; the first leafy stage and the second protonema stage
Solution: The moss gametophyte has a protonema stage (from a spore) and a leafy stage that arises from the secondary protonema as a lateral bud.
Q30 — Bryophytes · medium
The protonema stage is:
A. Prostrate, green, branched and frequently filamentous stage
B. Creeping, green, unbranched and frequently filamentous stage
C. Prostrate, non-green, unbranched and frequently leaf-like stage
D. Creeping, green, branched and frequently filamentous stage ✓ Correct
Solution: The protonema is a creeping, green, branched and often filamentous stage that develops directly from the spore.