Exploring Plant Reproduction: Reproduction in Bryophytes

Bryophytes, including mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, are simple nonvascular plants with over 25,000 species. They reproduce both asexually and sexually, with the haploid gametophyte phase being dominant. Male and female gametophytes produce sperm and eggs, respectively, with fertilization requiring water. This necessity for water explains their preference for moist environments. Post-fertilization, a diploid zygote forms, developing into a sporophyte that produces spores, completing the reproductive cycle.

What is the significance of the haploid gametophyte phase in bryophytes?

Describe the structure and function of the sporophyte in bryophytes.