The correct answer is: A. They lack roots.
Bryophytes are a group of non-vascular plants that lack true roots, stems, and leaves. They are the simplest land plants and are found in moist habitats around the world. Bryophytes reproduce by spores, which are produced in capsules on the sporophyte. The sporophyte is a small, non-photosynthetic plant that is attached to the gametophyte, the photosynthetic plant that produces the spores.
Other green plant groups, such as ferns, mosses, and seed plants, have true roots, stems, and leaves. They also have a vascular system, which is a network of tubes that transports water and nutrients throughout the plant. This allows them to grow larger and live in drier habitats than bryophytes.
Here is a brief explanation of each option:
- A. They lack roots. Bryophytes do not have true roots. Instead, they have rhizoids, which are thin, thread-like structures that anchor the plant to the ground and absorb water and nutrients.
- B. They lack vascular tissue. Bryophytes do not have a vascular system, which is a network of tubes that transports water and nutrients throughout the plant. This makes them less efficient at transporting water and nutrients than other green plant groups.
- C. They produce spores. Bryophytes reproduce by spores, which are tiny, dust-like reproductive units. Spores are produced in capsules on the sporophyte. The sporophyte is a small, non-photosynthetic plant that is attached to the gametophyte, the photosynthetic plant that produces the spores.
- D. Their sporophytes is attached to gametophyte. The sporophyte of a bryophyte is attached to the gametophyte, the photosynthetic plant that produces the spores. This is because bryophytes do not have a vascular system, which makes it difficult for them to transport water and nutrients from the soil to the sporophyte.