The Life cycle of a moss

Description: Bryophytes include mosses and liverworts. The latter often carry out vegetative reproduction by formation of gemmae - vegetative reproductive bodies. In mosses, sexual reproduction involves the production of antherdial and archegonial buds, containing sex organs. Antherdia produce mobile sperms which swim in water films over the plants to the mouth of the archegonial necks to which they are attracted chemotactically (shown in animated diagram). The following processes are also dealt with: The development of ovum in sporophyte; the growth of the sporogonium (by use of time-lapse microcinematography); the operculum dropping off, thus exposing teeth; hygroscopic movements of the teeth; dispersed germination of spore which becomes protohema; and finally, a recapitulation of the life-history of the moss by means of animated diagrams.