What is the difference between fern and moss

The height of mosses can usually reach 0. There are also some mosses that have highly branched stems, and the structures with leaf-like appearance arrange in spiral symmetry around the stem. The mosses are less differentiated with the roots-type structure that is the outgrowth of root hair called rhizoids. These are multicellular structures that anchor the plant and absorb water from the soil to conduct water towards the plant.

Male and female gametophytes are present individually in mosses; in the antheridia, the production of male gametes occurs while in the archegonia, production of the female gametes occurs. The archegonia are produced at the tip of the main stem by acrocarpous mosses, but in the case of pleurocarpous mosses, the production of archegonia occurs at the side stems. Sporophytes come into existence by the fertilized eggs on the female gametophyte.

The mosses also have commercial and traditional importance as it is the main component of peat that is used as a fuel, in gardens and florist marketing for decorative purposes, as insulation since they can absorb liquids up to 20 times their weight.

Ferns are larger vascular plants that are flowerless and seedless, and their process of reproduction takes place by the production of spores. They belong to the class of phylum Pteridophyta plant.

Ferns encounter generation changes and adaptations with the prominent sporophyte, which depends on the gametophyte. The sporophyte body of ferns plant is well-differentiated with roots, stems and, true leaves. The leaves of ferns contain branched vein system and are referred to as fronds, and their young leaves are rolled.

The leaves of the fern make a staff structure by uncoiling from a tight whorl known as a monkey tail. Tundra Trees. What Are Five Examples of the Coniferophyta? Characteristics of Seedless Vascular Plants. Are Palm Trees Monocots? The Life Cycle of Gymnosperms.

Where Does Photosynthesis Occur in Mosses? Mosses are a type of primitive plants on the land. Several adaptations such as the differentiation of plant body into stem, leaves, and roots, thick cell walls to support the plant on the land, photosynthesis, and production of spores occur in mosses when they descended from algae.

Compounded leaves allow ferns to achieve greater surface area. They suggested that gametophytes of this fern are able to survive in the British Isles by maintaining a very low metabolic rate, growing at low temperature and making efficient use of light that is available. Some desert plants have also developed a number of adaptations to increase leaf reflectance and therefore reduce the amount of absorbed light. The adaptations may include building up inorganic deposits on the leaf surface for example, salt crystals or developing air-filled hairs.

The non-vascular plants include mosses, hornworts and liverworts, and some algae. They are generally small plants limited in size by poor transport methods for water, gases and other compounds. They reproduce via spores rather than seeds and do not produce flowers, fruit or wood.

Mosses are a type of non-vascular plants that produce spores in capsules. They are classified under the plant phylum Bryophyta. Mosses are very similar to leafy liverworts. They undergo alterations of generations with a prominent gametophyte. The sporophyte appears on the gametophyte. The spores are produced in the capsule held by a stalk.

The germination of spores produces a protonema, which is a filamentous structure. The protonema gives rise to one or more stems, which then develop into gametophytes. The gametophytes of the mosses are leafy-stemmed structures. Since the stems of mosses are weak, the plants are unable to grow for more than one centimeter. However, some mosses can grow up to 60 centimeters with free-standing stems. Some mosses contain highly branched stems. The leaf-like structures develop in a spiral arrangement along the stem.

Figure 1: Lifecycle of a Moss. The mosses contain root-like structures called rhizoids. These rhizoids are multicellular and attach the plant to the substrate and absorb water from the soil.

Mosses develop male and female gametophytes separately. The male gametes are produced in the antheridia whereas the female gametes are produced in the archegonia. The acrocarpous mosses produce archegonia at the tip of the main stem whereas the pleurocarpous mosses produce archegonia on side-shoots.