Ques. 1AIPMT 2011 (Prelims)
Compared with the gametophytes of the bryophytes, the gametophytes of vascular plants tend to be
- smaller but to have larger sex organs
- larger but to have smaller sex organs
- larger and to have larger sex organs
- smaller and to have smaller sex organs
Answer
(4) smaller and to have smaller sex organs
Solution
∵ In bryophytes the gametophyte is the dominant plant body and bears large, conspicuous antheridia and archegonia.
⇒ In vascular plants the sporophyte is dominant and the gametophyte is progressively reduced: a small prothallus in pteridophytes and only a few cells in gymnosperms and angiosperms; the sex organs are also reduced (archegonia reduced in gymnosperms, absent in angiosperms).
∴ The gametophytes are smaller and have smaller sex organs.
Answer: (4)