What are the similarities between nonvascular plants and vascular plants?
1 Answer
Life cycle, mode of asexual and sexual reproduction are basically similar in vascular and non-vascular plants.
Explanation:
The fundamental difference between vascular and non-vascular plants is the presence or absence of vascular system.
Bryophytes are non-vascular plants, whereas Pteridophytes and Spermatophytes are vascular plants. All these plants exhibit alternation of generation, i.e. sporophytic and gametophytic generation following each other in alternate sequence to complete the life cycle.
Sporophytic generation reproduces asexually by meiospores and is diploid . Meiospores on germination give rise to gametophtyic generation. It reproduces sexually by gametes and is haploid . The male and female gametes fuse to form oospore . Oospore gives rise to embryo that develops into diploid sporophyte. This phenomenon is termed alternation of generations.
However, Gametophytic generation forms the main plant body in non-vascular plants; whereas sporophytic genration forms the main plant body in vascular plants.
Asexual reproduction occurs by meiospores in both vascular and non-vascular plants.
Sexual reproduction is oogamous . The male gametes are motile and female gamete is non-motile. The fertilization occurs inside the female gametangium and oosphere or female gamete is converted into diploid oospore, that gives rise to embryo.
