Answer: The plants that have a sporophyte that is nutritionally dependent on the photosynthetic gametophyte are mosses.The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mosses are nonvascular plants that have a life cycle characterized by alternating generations of a gametophyte and a sporophyte. The gametophyte is the dominant, photosynthetic phase of the moss life cycle and produces gametes. The sporophyte, on the other hand, is a dependent phase that grows from the gametophyte and is responsible for producing spores.
In mosses, the sporophyte remains attached to and dependent on the gametophyte for its nutrition. The gametophyte supplies the sporophyte with nutrients, as the sporophyte lacks vascular tissue and cannot carry out photosynthesis on its own. The sporophyte consists of a stalk-like structure called a seta and a capsule that contains spores. It relies on the gametophyte for water and nutrients, which are transported to the sporophyte through specialized conducting cells in the gametophyte called hydroids.
In contrast, ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms are vascular plants that have a sporophyte that is nutritionally independent of the gametophyte. These plants have evolved vascular tissue that allows them to transport water, nutrients, and sugars internally, enabling the sporophyte to carry out photosynthesis and obtain its own nutrition.
In summary, among the given options, mosses have a sporophyte that is nutritionally dependent on the photosynthetic gametophyte. This dependency is due to the lack of vascular tissue in mosses, which prevents the sporophyte from obtaining its own nutrients and makes it reliant on the gametophyte for nutrition.