Question

Which plant would live the longest percent of their life as a sporophyte?

1) moss
2) all plants live equal percents of their lives as sporophytes
3) fern
4) pine tree

Answer 1

A pine tree lives the longest percent of their life as a sporophyte compared to mosses, ferns, and other vascular and nonvascular plants.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the options given, a pine tree would live the longest percent of their life as a sporophyte. In the alternation of generations that plants undergo, most nonvascular plants like mosses have a dominant gametophyte stage and a shorter-lived sporophyte stage, while vascular plants like ferns have a more prominent sporophyte stage.

However, among vascular plants, it is the seed plants, such as pine trees, that have a sporophyte stage that is not only dominant but also spans the vast majority of the plant's life. The gametophytes of seed plants are reduced in size and complexity and are often completely dependent on the sporophyte for their nutrition.