Final answer:
Plant lifecycles typically involve an alternation of generations between the sporophyte and gametophyte stages. In Marchantia, a liverwort, the gametophyte is dominant and more visible, while the sporophyte is small and dependent on the gametophyte. Higher plants often have a dominant sporophyte stage, which is more independent compared to the gametophyte.
Step-by-step explanation:
To compare the lifecycles of plants to Marchantia, it’s important to recognize that all plants share a lifecycle characterized by an alternation of generations. This cycle includes both diploid sporophytes and haploid gametophytes. In Marchantia, a liverwort, the gametophyte is the dominant stage being more visible and longer-lasting, whereas the sporophyte is small and embedded on the underside of archegoniophores.
Sporangia are structures that produce and release spores during asexual reproduction. These spores undergo mitosis to form a new gametophyte. In Marchantia and other bryophytes, the sporophyte is dependent on the gametophyte for nutrition. Higher plants typically have a lifecycle dominated by the sporophyte stage, which is independent and often larger than the gametophyte. For example, in ferns, the sporophyte is the large, leafy plant we commonly recognize, while the gametophyte is a small, free-living plant sometimes referred to as a prothallus.
Nonvascular plants like Marchantia must live in moist environments because they lack specialized structures for water and nutrient transport, relying on diffusion instead. In contrast, ferns, which do have vascular tissues, can inhabit less moist environments compared to nonvascular plants.