Final answer:
Mosses and ferns produce fertilized eggs that form spores, which are simpler than seeds and lack a protective seed coat and stored food supply. The correct answer is C. Spores.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mosses and ferns do not produce seeds like angiosperms (flowering plants) and gymnosperms (such as pines and other conifers). Instead, these plants reproduce through a different method. When mosses and ferns produce fertilized eggs, they form spores.
These spores are simplified compared to seeds as they lack a food supply and a protective seed coat. Instead of seeds, mosses and ferns have a life cycle that includes a prominent gametophyte stage, where the spores germinate and grow into a new generation of plants without the need for a seed coat or the storage tissue that supports the growth of an embryo in seed plants.