Moss (Bryophyta)
Characteristics:Moss is that fuzzy, kind of soft green stuff you often see on trees or in other damn places. Moss is composed of two parts that are it's two sexual structures. The top part of moss that look like little thin trees are the sexual part of the organism-the sporophyte. The sporophyte structure of this plant is where sperm and eggs are released. The gametophyte part of this structure is the fuzzy green bit of moss, the more obvious and dominant trait of moss. The gametophyte provides nourishment for the sporophyte.
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The Structure:
Hand-drawn diagram of moss made by yours truly:
Reproduction:Moss as well as many, many other plants go through the Alteration of generation cycle, constantly switching between the haploid and diploid stages.
Survival!Moss are organisms that have a heavy dependence on water, moss in particular seeing as they need water to reproduce. Water carries the sperm and eggs around the organism to help the moss reproduce. Moss is non-vascular, but meaning it lacks water conducting tubes. Water and food can only move a small distance and must be moved around by osmosis and surface tension around stems. A moss's counterfeit "roots" (the rhizoids) are not really a huge part in nutrient and water absorption, in fact, they are more or less a structure to keep the moss anchored to the surface they occupy. Another reason why moss is dependent on water is because their structure lacks a cuticle, meaning they lack a nice waxy coating for both protection and coverage from evaporation.
So basically, moss needs to be very close to a water source at all times or else survival can be questioned. |
A Few Examples:Some fluffy moss found by the beach.
Greeny, moss found on rock
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EVOLUTION!
Moss is considered a more advanced structure than algae due to it's more complex structure. Algae is not a terrestrial organism while moss is, and moss also has more advanced and simple reproductive structure. Algae are also very limited when it comes to light sources, so moss being a land plant, had more access to this resource.