Give a brief account of biological importance of sporophyte of anthoceros
Answers
Sporophytic Phase:
After fertilization the diploid zygote or oospore still enlarges in size and fills the cavity of the venter of the archegonium. It secretes an outer cellulose wall.
Development of Sporophyte:
The first division of the zygote is vertical. In other Bryophytes the first division of the zygote is transverse. This is the important difference in the development of sporophyte of Hornworts and rest ‘of the Bryophytes.
The second division is transverse and is so oriented that the upper two cells are usually longer than the lower two (quadrant stage). All the four cells divide by vertical walls to produce eight cells (octant stage). The eight cells are arranged inStructure of Mature Sporogonium:
The mature sporophyte consist a bulbous foot and a smooth, slender, erect, cylindrical, structure called capsule. Capsule varies in length from two to fifteen centimeter in different species. The sporogonium appears like a ‘bristle’ or ‘horn’, hence, the species are called ‘hornwoits’ two tiers of four cells each.
Internal structure:
A mature sporogonium can be differentiated into three parts viz., the foe: seta and the capsule.
Foot:
It is bulbous, multicellular and made up of a mass of parenchymatous cells. It acts as ac haustorium and absorbs food and water from the adjoining gametophytic cells for the developing sporophyte