The correct answer is: B. Bryophyta
Bryophytes are non-vascular land plants that include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. They are the simplest land plants and are characterized by their lack of a vascular system. This means that they do not have xylem and phloem, which are the tissues that transport water and nutrients in vascular plants. As a result, bryophytes are limited in size and can only grow in moist environments.
Bryophytes reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction involves the production of gametes, which are haploid cells that fuse to form a diploid zygote. The zygote develops into a sporophyte, which is the diploid stage of the bryophyte life cycle. The sporophyte produces spores, which are haploid cells that can germinate to form new gametophytes.
Bryophytes play an important role in the environment. They help to prevent soil erosion and provide a habitat for other organisms. They are also a source of food for some animals.
The other options are incorrect because:
- Option A, Thallophyta, includes algae and fungi. Algae are photosynthetic organisms that lack a true plant body, while fungi are heterotrophic organisms that absorb nutrients from their environment.
- Option C, Tracheophyta, includes vascular plants. Vascular plants have a vascular system that transports water and nutrients throughout the plant body. This allows them to grow to larger sizes than bryophytes.
- Option D, Pteridophyta, includes ferns and horsetails. Pteridophytes are vascular plants that have a vascular system, but they do not have seeds. They reproduce by spores.