28. Plants

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Moss sperm are motile and capable of swimming short distances to fertilize an egg. However, it was unknown until recently how sperm make their way from male to female gametophytes that may be separated by a distance of several centimeters or more.

Researchers hypothesized that small animals called springtails (a type of arthropod) facilitate sperm transfer in mosses. To test this hypothesis, the researchers grew patches of male and female mosses at varying distances from each other and in the presence or absence of springtails. They later checked to see how many sporophytes were found in each female patch (as an indicator that fertilization had occurred). Their results are shown in the graph here (** means P<0.01, * means P>0.05. What conclusions can be drawn about the role of the springtails during the reproductive cycle of the mosses?

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Moss sperm are motile and capable of swimming short distances to fertilize an egg. However, it was unknown until recently how sperm make their way from male to female gametophytes that may be separated by a distance of several centimeters or more.

What structure do moss sperm use for motility, and how does that reflect the evolution of land plants from green algae?

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Moss sperm are motile and capable of swimming short distances to fertilize an egg. However, it was unknown until recently how sperm make their way from male to female gametophytes that may be separated by a distance of several centimeters or more.

Beyond the results presented here, what other evidence would be useful when drawing conclusions about the role of springtails in moss reproduction?

Moss sperm are motile and capable of swimming short distances to fertilize an egg. However, it was unknown until recently how sperm make their way from male to female gametophytes that may be separated by a distance of several centimeters or more. A friend in your biology study group claims that eggs in mosses are fertilized by spores. What is wrong with that statement?

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Moss sperm are motile and capable of swimming short distances to fertilize an egg. However, it was unknown until recently how sperm make their way from male to female gametophytes that may be separated by a distance of several centimeters or more.

Besides springtails, are there other ways moss sperm may be transferred from male to female gametophytes?

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Moss sperm are motile and capable of swimming short distances to fertilize an egg. However, it was unknown until recently how sperm make their way from male to female gametophytes that may be separated by a distance of several centimeters or more.

Animals are responsible for pollinating many flowering plants. Did animal-mediated fertilization originate with flowering plants, or was this mode of sperm dispersal likely in place before the origin of flowering plants? Explain.

Suppose an efficient conducting system evolved in a moss that could transport water and other materials as high as a tall tree. Which of the following statements about “trees” of such a species would be true?

a. Spore dispersal distances would probably decrease.

b. Females could produce only one archegonium.

c. Unless its body parts were strengthened, such a “tree” would probably flop over.

d. Individuals would probably compete less effectively for access to light.