Moss Lab  Purpose

1. Examine the general life cycle of bryophytes.

2. Examine living Marchantia and compare with a prepared cross section of a thallus.

3. Examine a prepared slide of gemmae cups.

4. Examine live or prepared liverworts with mature archegoniophores bearing arche­gonia and antheridiophores bearing antheridia.

5. Examine a prepared slide of a sporophyte of Marchantia.

6. Observe the living mosses on display.

7. Demonstrate water absorption by Sphagnum.

8. Examine prepared slides of moss archegonia and antheridia.

9. Examine living moss sporophyte capsules.

Objectives

By the end of this exercise you should be able to:

1. Describe the life histories and related reproductive structures of mosses and liver­worts.

2. Describe the distinguishing characteristics of mosses and liverworts.

 

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER THOUGHT AND STUDY

1. List advances in complexity shown by bryophytes over algae regarding their morphology, habitat, asexual reproduction, and sexual reproduction.

2. What event begins the sporophyte phase of the life cycle? Where does it occur in mosses and liverworts?

3. What event begins the gametophyte phase of the life cycle? Where does it occur in mosses and liverworts?

4. What features distinguish a moss from a liverwort?

5. Diagram the life cycle of a liverwort, indicating which stages are sporophytic and which are gametophytic.

6. Diagram the life cycle of a moss, indicating which stages are sporophytic and which are gametophytic.

7. Since water is required for the swimming sperm to reach the archegonium, would you say that this means that bryophytes are not truly land plants? Why or why not?

8. What ecological roles might mosses and liverworts play in the environment?

9. Is the sporophyte of mosses ever independent of the gametophyte? Explain.

10. Why do you think that bryophytes have sometimes been referred to as the am­

phibians of the plant kingdom?

11. How did liverworts obtain their name?

DIVISION BRYOPHYTA

Division Bryophyta consists mainly of mosses and liverworts, and represents the most primitive group of terrestrial plants. Bryophytes are green, have root-like structures called rhizoids, and may have stem and leaf-like parts. Bryophytes do not possess vascular tissues, which transport materials between roots and shoots. This absence in bryophytes typically limits their distribution to moist habitats, since their rhizoids neither penetrate the soil very far nor absorb many nutrients. Also, the absence of vascular tissues necessitates that their photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic tissues be close together. The absence of vascular tissues, along with the absence of supporting tissues, results in bryophytes being relatively small and inconspicuous. Despite their diminutive size, however, bryophytes occur throughout the world in habitats ranging from the tropics to Antarctica. There are approximately 24,000 species of bryophytes, more than any other group of plants except the flowering plants. Bryophytes fix CO2,, degrade rocks to soil, stabilize soil, and reduce erosion. Humans have several uses for bryophytes-for example, various bryophytes are used as fuel, to produce Scotch whiskey, and as packing materials.

The plant body of bryophytes is termed a thallus (thalli, plural). Liverwort thalli are dorsoventrally flattened (flattened from back and front plane, rather than from side to side plane) and bilaterally symmetrical (two equal halves). Whereas, moss thalli are erect and radially symmetrical (circular).

The life cycle of bryophytes is characterized by a distinct alteration of generations in which the gametophyte is the predominant vegetative phase (Fig. 21-1). Bryophytes have multicellular sex organs in which gamete-producing cells are enclosed in a jacket of sterile cells. Antheridia are male sex organs that produce swimming, biflagellate sperm. Bry­ophytes require water for sexual reproduction because their sperm must swim to eggs. These sperm fertilize eggs produced in archegonia, the female sex organs. The fertilized egg is called a zygote-this zygote divides and matures in the archegonium to produce the sporophyte. The sporophyte remains attached to and nutritionally dependent on the gametophyte. The mature sporophyte produces haploid spores (via meiosis), each of which can develop into a gametophyte.

 

 

GEMMAE CUP, Fig. 21-2 FEMALE THALLUS, Fig. 21-2 ARCHEGONIUM, Fig. 21-4 ANTHERIDIUM, Fig. 21-5

 

 

 

Fig. 21-1 Life cycle of a liverwort (Marchantia).

Class Hepaticae: Liverworts

Although many liverworts appear "leafy", we will restrict our observations to a thallus­type liverwort, Marchantia. The gametophytic thallus of this liverwort grows as a large, flat, photosynthetic structure on the surface of the ground (Fig. 21-2).

Liverwort Gametophyte

Observe some living Marchantia, and note the Y-shaped (dichotomous) growth. Rhizoids extend downward from the lower (ventral) surface of the thallus.

QUESTION 1

What are the functions of rhizoids?

PORE

 

Fig. 21-3 Marchantia thallus.

View the upper (dorsal) surface of the thallus with a dissecting microscope, and note the pores in the center of the diamond shaped areas. Obtain a prepared slide of a thallus of Marchantia, and compare what you see with Fig. 21-3. Notice that the pores in the dorsal surface of the thallus overly air chambers containing chlorenchyma (chloroplast containing) cells.

Asexual Reproduction in Liverworts

Liverworts can reproduce asexually via fragmentation. In this process, the older, central portions of the thallus die, leaving the growing tips isolated to form individual plants.

On the dorsal surface of some thalli near the midrib may be structures called gemmae cups (see Plate XVII, Fig. 40). These structures represent another means of asexual reproduction by liverworts. Inside the gemmae cups are lens-shaped outgrowths called gemmae (sing. gemma), which are splashed out of the gemmae cup by falling drops of rain. If a gemma lands in an adequate environment, it can produce a new gametophyte plant. Examine a prepared slide of gemmae cups. Also examine available live or pre­served material. In the space below, diagram and label what you see, and compare it to Fig. 21-2.

Sexual Reproduction in Liverworts

Many species of Marchantia are dioecious, meaning that they have separate male and female plants. Gametes from each plant are produced in specialized sex organs borne on upright stalks. Archegoniophores are specialized stalks on female plants and bear arche­gonia. Each flask-shaped archegonium is comprised of a neck and a venter, which contains the egg (Fig. 21-4). Examine live or prepared liverworts with mature archegoniophores bearing archegonia. Archegonia at various stages of development are located on the ventral surface. Locate an egg in an archegonium.

Antheridiophores are specialized stalks on male plants that bear antheridia. Examine live or preserved liverworts with mature antheridiophores bearing antheridia. Sperm are produced in antheridia (Fig. 21-5). Flagellated sperm are released from the antheridia, and eventually fertilize the egg located in the venter. The zygote remains in the venter, and grows into a sporophyte plant.

Examine a prepared slide of cross sections of an antheridiophore. Antheridia are located just below the upper surface of the disc in a chamber that leads to the surface of the disc through a pore.

QUESTION 2

What is the function of these pores?

QUESTION 3

How does the position of the archegonium and antheridium relate to their reproductive needs?

 Fig. 21-4 Marchantia archegonia

. Fig. 21-5 Marchantia antherdia

. QUESTION 4  What is the function of the foot?

QUESTION 5  Are spores haploid or diploid?

QUESTION 6  What is the functional significance of the response of elaters to moisture?

Liverwort Sporophyte

Examine a prepared slide of a sporophyte of Marchantia. The non-photosynthetic spo­rophyte is connected to the gametophyte by a structure called the foot. Spores are produced by meiosis in a capsule located on a stalk that extends downward from the foot. Among the spores you can see elongate cells called elaters. Elaters help disperse spores by twisting. In humid conditions the elaters coil, but when it is dry the elaters expand, pushing the spores apart and rupturing the spore case to release the spores.

Class Musci: Mosses

Mosses are seen more frequently than liverworts because of their greater numbers, more widespread distribution, and the fact that gametophyte plants of mosses are leafy and usually stand upright. Mosses also withstand desiccation better than liverworts. Therefore mosses have less specialized habitats. The moss gametophyte is radially symmetrical, and is the most conspicuous phase of the moss life-cycle (Fig. 21-6).

ANTHERIDIUM

 

Fig. 21-6 Life cycle of a moss (Polytrichum).

 

Moss Gametophyte

Observe the living moss on display, Polytrichum (Fig. 21-7). The "leafy" green portions of the plant are the gametophytes, and are often only one cell thick (except at the midrib).

Moss gametophytes have specialized cells that aid in the absorption and retention of water. Mats of moss act, in effect, like sponges. The following exercise demonstrates the water-absorbing potential of mosses.

PROCEDURE: WATER ABSORPTION BY MOSS

1. Weigh out 3 g of Sphagnum, a peat moss, and 3 g of paper towel.

2. Add the moss and towel to separate beakers each containing 100 ml of water.

3. After several minutes, remove the materials from the beaker.

4. Measure the amount of water left in each beaker by pouring the water into a

100

ml graduated cylinder. Remember that 1 ml of water weighs 1 g.

5. Record your data.

 

 

Asexual Reproduction in Mosses

Unlike liverworts, mosses lack structures such as gemmae for asexual reproduction. Mosses reproduce asexually by fragmentation.

Sexual Reproduction in Mosses

Most mosses, like liverworts, are dioecious. Archegonia or antheridia are borne either on tips of the erect gametophyte stalks or as lateral branches on the stalks. The apex of stalks of the female plant (the plant bearing archegonia) appears as a cluster of leaves, with the archegonia buried inside. Examine live or preserved material of mosses with mature archegonia.

Examine a prepared slide of moss archegonia (Fig. 21-8). Note the canal that leads through the neck and terminates in the venter of the archegonium. When the archegonium matured, cells lining the neck disintegrated and formed a canal leading to the egg. Sperm, following a chemical attractant released by the archegonium, swim through this canal to reach the egg. Try to relate what you see in a cross section to a whole plant.

The male plant (the plant bearing antheridia) has a plate-like structure or the tip with the "leaves" expanding outward to form a rosette. This terminal structure is some­times called a "moss flower" due to its appearance, or a "splash cup" due to its function (the dispersal of sperm by falling raindrops). Examine live or preserved material of mosses with mature antheridia.Examine a prepared slide of moss antheridia, which appear as elongate, sac-like structures (Fig. 21-9). Locate the outer sterile jacket and the inner mass of cells destined to become sperm.Moss SporophyteMoss sporophytes consist of capsules located atop stalks (seta) that extend upward from the moss gametophyte. A sporophyte is attached to the gametophyte by a structure called a foot.The capsule atop the seta is covered by the calyptra (upper portion of archegonium that covers capsule apex), which falls off when the capsule matures. Inside the capsule are numerous haploid spores formed via meiosis.If enough living material is available in the lab, remove the calyptra from a sporophyte capsule. On the tip of the capsule is a cap-like structure called the operculum. Remove the operculum and notice the hair-like teeth lining the opening of the capsule. These teeth help controlling the release of spores from the capsule. In wet weather, these teeth bend inward and prevent release of the spores. In dry weather, these teeth bend outward, thus facilitating distribution of spores by the wind. Crush the capsule in water on a microscope slide and note the large number of spores that are released.Moss spores germinate and form a photosynthetic protonema, which resembles a branching, filamentous alga. Leafy moss plants arise from "buds" located along the protonema.

QUESTION 7 How does the symmetry of a moss gametophyte compare with that of a liverwort gametophyte?

QUESTION 8

a. How many times its own weight did the moss absorb?

b. How does this compare with the paper towel?

c. Why is Sphagnum often used in shipping items that must be kept moist?

QUESTION 9 Where is the egg located in the archegonium?

 Fig. 21-9 Polytrichum antherdia.

 Fig. 21-8 Polytrichum archegonia

QUESTION 10 Is the sporophyte more prominent in mosses or liverworts?

 

QUESTION 11What is the adaptive significance of having spores released from atop a seta?

 

QUESTION 12a. What process produces spores?

b. Is the sporophytic capsule haploid or diploid

 

QUESTION 13Can you think of any evolutionary implications of the similarity between a moss protonema and a filamentous green alga?