Pteridophytes MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Pteridophytes - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is B, A, D, E, C

Concept:

• Pteridophytes are a group of vascular plants that reproduce via spores and do not produce seeds or flowers. Their life cycle follows an alternation of generations, involving a diploid sporophytic generation and a haploid gametophytic generation.
• The life cycle of pteridophytes includes several key stages: spore formation through meiosis, germination of spores into a gametophyte (prothallus), development of sex organs (archegonia and antheridia), fertilization, and the formation of a new sporophyte.

Explanation:

• Step B: Meiosis in spore mother cells: The life cycle begins with meiosis in the spore mother cells of the sporophyte, resulting in the production of haploid spores. This marks the transition from the diploid sporophytic phase to the haploid gametophytic phase.
• Step A: Prothallus stage: The haploid spores germinate to form a small, heart-shaped structure called the prothallus (gametophyte). This is the gametophytic stage in the life cycle.
• Step D: Formation of archegonia and antheridia in gametophyte: The prothallus develops specialized structures—archegonia (female sex organs) and antheridia (male sex organs)—which produce eggs and antherozoids (male gametes), respectively.
• Step E: Transfer of antherozoids to the archegonia in presence of water: Water plays a crucial role in the transfer of antherozoids to the archegonia, allowing fertilization to occur. This step requires a moist environment for the motile sperm to reach the egg.
• Step C: Fertilization: Fertilization occurs within the archegonium, resulting in the formation of a diploid zygote. The zygote develops into a new sporophyte, completing the life cycle.

The correct answer is They are thalloid and free-living.

Explanation:

• Pteridophytes produce spores through meiosis.The spore mother cells undergo meiosis to produce haploid spores.
• In pteridophytes, the main plant body is a sporophyte which is differentiated into true root, stem and leaves.
• The sporophytes bear sporangia that are subtended by leaf-like appendages called sporophylls.
• The sporangia produce spores by meiosis in spore mother cells.
• In pteridophytes, the gametophyte generation is usually small, free-living, and photosynthetic.
• The spores produced by sporangia germinate to give rise to inconspicuous, small but multicellular, free-living, mostly photosynthetic thalloid gametophytes called prothallus.

The correct answer is Only statement 2 is true.

Explanation:
Statement 1: Pteridophytes produce spores by mitosis in spore mother cells.

• This statement is false.
• Pteridophytes produce spores through meiosis, not mitosis. The spore mother cells undergo meiosis to produce haploid spores.
• In pteridophytes, the main plant body is a sporophyte which is differentiated into true root, stem and leaves.
• The sporophytes bear sporangia that are subtended by leaf-like appendages called sporophylls.
• The sporangia produce spores by meiosis in spore mother cells.

Statement 2: The gametophytes of pteridophytes are free-living and photosynthetic.

• This statement is true.
• In pteridophytes, the gametophyte generation is usually small, free-living, and photosynthetic.
• The spores produced by sporangia germinate to give rise to inconspicuous, small but multicellular, free-living, mostly photosynthetic thalloid gametophytes called prothallus.

The correct answer is Water

Explanation:

• Pteridophytes are a group of vascular plants that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They include ferns, horsetails, and clubmosses.
• The reproductive cycle of pteridophytes involves an alternation of generations between a diploid sporophyte and a haploid gametophyte.
• Antherozoids are male gametes (sperm cells) produced by the antheridia (male sex organs) of the gametophyte.
• Archegonia are female sex organs on the gametophyte that contain the egg cells.
• Water is essential for the transfer of antherozoids to the archegonium in pteridophytes. The antherozoids are motile and swim through a film of water to reach the archegonium where fertilization occurs. This is a crucial step for the sexual reproduction of pteridophytes.

Incorrect Options:

• Soil: Soil is not involved in the transfer of antherozoids to the archegonium. While pteridophytes may grow in soil, the medium required for gamete transfer and fertilization is water.
• Air: Air is not a medium for the transfer of antherozoids in pteridophytes. Since antherozoids are motile and require a liquid medium to swim, air cannot facilitate their movement to the archegonium.

The correct answer is a, b

Explanation:

• Pteridophytes are a group of vascular plants that reproduce via spores and do not produce seeds. They include ferns, horsetails, and clubmosses.
• The distribution of pteridophytes is limited and restricted to narrow geographical regions due to specific ecological requirements for their growth and reproduction.
• Water is required for fertilisation: Pteridophytes have a life cycle that includes a free-living gametophyte stage that requires water for the motile sperm to reach the egg for fertilisation. This dependency on water limits their distribution to moist environments.
• Gametophytes require cool, damp, shady places to grow: The gametophytes of pteridophytes thrive in cool, damp, and shady environments. This requirement further restricts their distribution to regions that can provide such conditions.

Other Options:

• In pteridophytes the main plant body is gametophyte: This statement is incorrect. In pteridophytes, the dominant and conspicuous phase is the sporophyte, not the gametophyte.
• Precursor to the seed habit considered an important step in movement: While the evolution of seed habit is significant in plant evolution, it is not directly related to the restricted distribution of pteridophytes. The female gametophytes in these plants are retained on the parent sporophytes for variable periods. The development of the zygotes into young embryos take place within the female gametophytes. This event is a precursor to the seed habit considered an important step in evolution.

Concept-

• Plants are divided into five groups- Thallophytes, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.
• They are the first terrestrial plants to acquire vascular tissues – xylem and phloem.
• Pteridophytes have two groups-
  • The majority of the pteridophytes are homosporous eg. Psilotum, Adiantum, and Equisetum. 
  • While some pteridophytes are exceptionally heterosporous eg. Selaginella, Azolla, Salvinia, and Marsilea.

Explanation-

• Pteridophytes are commonly known as Ferns.
• Ferns form the largest group of pteridophytes called Pteropsida.
• Example: Azolla, Salvinia
• The plant's body is differentiated into roots, stems, and leaves and has specialized tissue for the conduction of water and other substances from one part of the plant body to another.
• Roots are absent in Salvinia.

Thereby rootless fern is Salvinia.

Additional Information

• Dryopteris is also called as Brook shield fern'.
• Adiantum is called a walking fern.
• Pteris, commonly known as the Chinese brake.

Concept:

• ​The earliest plants to have evolved on land are thought to be pteridophytes.
• They are vascular, seedless cryptogams.
• The plant body has true roots, stems, and leaves.

Explanation: 

• Prothallus is a free-living, mostly photosynthetic thalloid gametophyte.
• It is formed during the life cycle of Pteridophyte.
• The pteridophyte is a sporophyte i.e. the main plant body is diploid
• These spores formed inside the sporangia which are borne on the sporophylls.
• The germination of spores is exosporic i.e. in the soil.
• These spores germinate to form the gametophyte which is haploid.
• The gametophyte formed is called prothallus and it is independent as the germination took place outside the sporophyte body in the soil.
• Prothallus male and female sex organs are called antheridia and archegonia, respectively.
• Water is required for the transfer of antherozoids – the male gametes released from the antheridia to the mouth of the archegonium.
• Fusion of the male gamete with the egg present in the archegonium results in the formation of a zygote.
• The zygote thereafter produces a multicellular well-differentiated sporophyte which is the dominant phase of the pteridophytes.
• The sporophytic plant undergoes meiosis to form haploid spores.
• Haploid spores divide by mitosis to form a haploid gametophyte once again. 

So, the correct answer is option 3, A gametophyte-free living structure formed in pteridophytes.

The correct answer is B, A, D, E, C

Concept:

• Pteridophytes are a group of vascular plants that reproduce via spores and do not produce seeds or flowers. Their life cycle follows an alternation of generations, involving a diploid sporophytic generation and a haploid gametophytic generation.
• The life cycle of pteridophytes includes several key stages: spore formation through meiosis, germination of spores into a gametophyte (prothallus), development of sex organs (archegonia and antheridia), fertilization, and the formation of a new sporophyte.

Explanation:

• Step B: Meiosis in spore mother cells: The life cycle begins with meiosis in the spore mother cells of the sporophyte, resulting in the production of haploid spores. This marks the transition from the diploid sporophytic phase to the haploid gametophytic phase.
• Step A: Prothallus stage: The haploid spores germinate to form a small, heart-shaped structure called the prothallus (gametophyte). This is the gametophytic stage in the life cycle.
• Step D: Formation of archegonia and antheridia in gametophyte: The prothallus develops specialized structures—archegonia (female sex organs) and antheridia (male sex organs)—which produce eggs and antherozoids (male gametes), respectively.
• Step E: Transfer of antherozoids to the archegonia in presence of water: Water plays a crucial role in the transfer of antherozoids to the archegonia, allowing fertilization to occur. This step requires a moist environment for the motile sperm to reach the egg.
• Step C: Fertilization: Fertilization occurs within the archegonium, resulting in the formation of a diploid zygote. The zygote develops into a new sporophyte, completing the life cycle.

Concept:

• The given diagram is of Salvinia.
• Selaginella and Salvinia are pteridophytes. 
• Pteridophytes are the first terrestrial plants to possess vascular tissues – xylem and phloem.
• In pteridophytes, the main plant body is a sporophyte which is differentiated into true roots, stem, and leaves.

Explanation:

• The majority of the pteridophytes produce all the spores of similar kinds; such plants are called homosporous.
• Selaginella and Salvinia which produce two kinds of spores, macro (large) and micro (small) spores, are known as heterosporous.
• The megaspores and microspores germinate and give rise to female and male gametophytes, respectively. 
• Most of the pteridophytes produce a single type of spores and are called homosporous.
• Sorus is a brownish or yellowish cluster of spore-producing structures located on the lower surface of fern leaves.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option 3: A heterosporous pteridophyte.

Concept:

• Strobili or cones are reproductive structures found in the Gymnosperms.
• They are found in non-flowering plants.
• These cones contain sporangia that contain haploid gametes known as spores.

Explanation:

Option 1:

• Marchantia is a Bryophyte.
• They do not have plant bodies differentiated into true roots, stems, and leaves.

Option 2:

• Equisetum is commonly known as Horsetail.
• It is a homosporous pteridophyte.
• In majority of the pteridophytes, all the spores are of similar kinds; such plants are called homosporous.

Option 3:

• Salvinia is a pteridophyte.
• Pteridophytes are vascular, non-flowering plants that reproduce via spores.
• They are included in cryptogams as they do not have flowers and seeds.

Option 4:

• Pteris is a pteridophyte.
• Pteridophytes are vascular, non-flowering plants that reproduce via spores.
• They are included in cryptogams as they do not have flowers and seeds.

So, the correct answer is option 2.

Concept-

• Plants are divided into five groups- Thallophytes, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.
• They are the first terrestrial plants to acquire vascular tissues – xylem and phloem.
• Pteridophytes have two groups-
  • The majority of the pteridophytes are homosporous eg. Psilotum, Adiantum, and Equisetum. 
  • While some pteridophytes are exceptionally heterosporous eg. Selaginella, Azolla, Salvinia, and Marsilea.

Explanation-

• Pteridophytes are commonly known as Ferns.
• Ferns form the largest group of pteridophytes called Pteropsida.
• Example: Azolla, Salvinia
• The plant's body is differentiated into roots, stems, and leaves and has specialized tissue for the conduction of water and other substances from one part of the plant body to another.
• Roots are absent in Salvinia.

Thereby rootless fern is Salvinia.

Additional Information

• Dryopteris is also called as Brook shield fern'.
• Adiantum is called a walking fern.
• Pteris, commonly known as the Chinese brake.

Concept:

• ​The earliest plants to have evolved on land are thought to be pteridophytes.
• They are vascular, seedless cryptogams.
• The plant body has true roots, stems, and leaves.

Explanation: 

• Prothallus is a free-living, mostly photosynthetic thalloid gametophyte.
• It is formed during the life cycle of Pteridophyte.
• The pteridophyte is a sporophyte i.e. the main plant body is diploid
• These spores formed inside the sporangia which are borne on the sporophylls.
• The germination of spores is exosporic i.e. in the soil.
• These spores germinate to form the gametophyte which is haploid.
• The gametophyte formed is called prothallus and it is independent as the germination took place outside the sporophyte body in the soil.
• Prothallus male and female sex organs are called antheridia and archegonia, respectively.
• Water is required for the transfer of antherozoids – the male gametes released from the antheridia to the mouth of the archegonium.
• Fusion of the male gamete with the egg present in the archegonium results in the formation of a zygote.
• The zygote thereafter produces a multicellular well-differentiated sporophyte which is the dominant phase of the pteridophytes.
• The sporophytic plant undergoes meiosis to form haploid spores.
• Haploid spores divide by mitosis to form a haploid gametophyte once again. 

So, the correct answer is option 3, A gametophyte-free living structure formed in pteridophytes.

The correct answer is They are thalloid and free-living.

Explanation:

• Pteridophytes produce spores through meiosis.The spore mother cells undergo meiosis to produce haploid spores.
• In pteridophytes, the main plant body is a sporophyte which is differentiated into true root, stem and leaves.
• The sporophytes bear sporangia that are subtended by leaf-like appendages called sporophylls.
• The sporangia produce spores by meiosis in spore mother cells.
• In pteridophytes, the gametophyte generation is usually small, free-living, and photosynthetic.
• The spores produced by sporangia germinate to give rise to inconspicuous, small but multicellular, free-living, mostly photosynthetic thalloid gametophytes called prothallus.

Concept-

• Plants are divided into five groups- Thallophytes, Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms.
• They are the first terrestrial plants to acquire vascular tissues – xylem and phloem.
• Pteridophytes have two groups-
  • The majority of the pteridophytes are homosporous eg. Psilotum, Adiantum, and Equisetum. 
  • While some pteridophytes are exceptionally heterosporous eg. Selaginella, Azolla, Salvinia, and Marsilea.

Explanation-

• Pteridophytes are commonly known as Ferns.
• Ferns form the largest group of pteridophytes called Pteropsida.
• Example: Azolla, Salvinia
• The plant's body is differentiated into roots, stems, and leaves and has specialized tissue for the conduction of water and other substances from one part of the plant body to another.
• Roots are absent in Salvinia.

Thereby rootless fern is Salvinia.

Additional Information

• Dryopteris is also called as Brook shield fern'.
• Adiantum is called a walking fern.
• Pteris, commonly known as the Chinese brake.

Concept:

• Selaginella belongs to the division Pteridophyta.
• The plant body is a diploid sporophyte, which is heterosporous in nature.
• Heterosporous - refers to the condition where wo different types of spores are produced - microspores and megaspores.
• These spores are produced in microsporangia and megasporangia respectively.
• The sporangia are borne on fertile leaves known an sporophylls.
• The sporophylls are usually compacted into structures called the strobilus.

Important Points

• The L.S of a strobilus shows that it consists of a central axis covered with ligulate sporophylls.
• Ligule - is a small membranous outgrowth present at the base of a leaf on the adaxial side.
• Each of such sporophylls bear a single stalked sporangium on its axis.
• The position of the sporangia may differ from species to species.