What Is This Module About?

This is the first part of the module Green World. It is about nonvascular plants or plants
without internal conducting tissues. In this module, you will learn about the different kinds of
environment in which plants live as well as compare plants in terms of structure, size and
appearance.
This module is divided into three lessons:
Lesson 1–Classifications of Plants
Lesson 2–Algae
Lesson 3–Liverworts, Hornworts and Mosses (The First Land Plants)

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After studying this module, you should be able to:

♦ explain the importance of classifying plants;
♦ describe how plants are classified;
♦ identify green, brown and red algae;
♦ discuss the economic importance of algae;
♦ recognize and describe liverworts, hornworts and mosses; and
♦ explain the economic importance of liverworts, hornworts and mosses.

Let’s See What You Already Know

Before you start studying this module, find out first how much you know about nonvascular
plants by taking the following short test.
Encircle the letter of the correct answer to the following.
1. What do you call the process of grouping or ordering plants based on structural
similarities or evolutionary relationships?
a. classification c. collection
b. identification d. preservation

2. There are seven major biological levels of classification. The species is the most basic
level, which is considered the highest level of classification?
a. class c. kingdom
b. order d. family

1
3. He is the Swedish naturalist who was the first to classify living things and is thus
considered the father of taxonomy.
a. Charles Darwin c. Anton Van Leeuwenhooke
b. Carolus Linnaeus d. Robert Hooke

4. What do you call the type of classification that is based on similarities in structure?
a. natural classification c. classical classification
b. artificial classification d. superficial classification

5. Why are nonvascular plants generally smaller than vascular plants?

a. absence of water
b. absence of leaves
c. absence of vascular tubes where water and other substances can pass
d. lack of vitamins

6. Algae have varying amounts of photosynthetic pigments. Which among the following
pigments is dominant in red algae?
a. green c. red
b. blue d. yellow

7. Algae have several uses. They are used as food, medicines and raw materials in
industrial processes. Which among the following algae is a good source of agar?
a. ararosep c. kulafo
b. pokpoklo d. gulaman

8. It is said that seaweeds are good sources of vitamins and minerals. Which among the
following minerals are primarily derived from seaweeds?
a. sodium c. iodine
b. iron d. sulfur

9. Which among the following plants cannot grow in dry and warm places?
a. makahiya c. acacia
b. moss d. cactus

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 10. Plants are found in almost all types of habitats. Which among the following habitats is
not favorable to the growth of mosses?
a. damp soil
b. moist rocks
c. unshaded places along the road
d. trunks and branches of trees in a forest

Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers with those found in
the Answer Key on page 28 to find out.
If all your answers are correct, very good! This shows that you already know much about
the topics in this module. You may still study the module to review what you already know. Who
knows, you might learn a few more new things as well.
If you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This means that this module is for you. It will help you
understand some important concepts that you can apply in your daily life. If you study this module
carefully, you will learn the answers to all the items in the test and a lot more! Are you ready?
You may go now to the next page to begin Lesson 1.

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 LESSON 1

Classifications of Plants

Have you ever walked in a park? Maybe you even removed your shoes or slippers to feel
the soft, cool grass. Perhaps you climbed a tree and looked at the sky through its green leaves.
It’s really a fun experience going to a place surrounded by different kinds of plants. What do all
these plants have in common? How do they differ? Find out as we discuss the classifications or
grouping of plants. After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
♦ discuss the importance of classifying plants; and
♦ describe how plants are classified.

Let’s Try This

Take a walk outside and see for yourself the beauty of nature. Go to a place where plants
abound. Notice how plants vary. Take note of their sizes, shapes, colors, appearance and
habitats. Now look at the picture below. The plants that you see are algae, mosses, hornworts
and liverworts. What do all these plants have in common with all other plants?

Ulva Hornworts

Moss Marchantia

Bryophytes

Meanwhile, try to reflect on the following questions.

1. What are the uses of grouping plants?
2. What are the bases for grouping plants?

4
 Now, examine the picture below. It presents different land plants. Only algae, the aquatic
plants are not included. Try to note the similarities and differences in them. Do they look familiar
to you?

Angiosperms Conifers Ginkos

Anthophyta Coniferophyta Ginkophyta
250000 species 550 species 1 species

Cycads
Cycadophyta
100 species
Horsetails
Spenophyta
15 species
Gnetums
Gnotophyta
70 species

Ferns
Pterophyta
12000 species

Mosses Club mosses

Bryophyta Lycophyta
20000 species 1000 species

Land Plants

Let’s Try This

Get eight different kinds of seeds such as peanut, mongo, white bean, black bean, corn,
sunflower, palay and papaya seeds. Divide the seeds into two groups— I and II. The seeds in
each group must have at least one thing in common. For example, round seeds must be under
Group I and those that are not must be in Group II. Now, examine the seeds in Group I as to
texture. Group them into rough and smooth. Rough seeds should be under Group Ia and smooth
ones under Group Ib. Now move on to Group II and do the same. Group IIa will have rough
seeds and Group IIb, smooth seeds. Once you are through, divide them further as to color. Let’s
say, black, yellow, green, red or white.

5
 Seeds
Shape

Group I Group II
Round Other shapes

Texture

Rough Smooth Rough Smooth

Color

Yellow Black Green Black Yellow Black Red White

Let’s Think About This

1. What were your bases for classifying the seeds?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

2. Based on your classification, how many different kinds of seeds do you have?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

3. What is the advantage of classifying the seeds?

_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

6
 Let’s Learn

Life scientists sort and organize living things. They group them according to the food they eat
and their behaviors, structures or chemical makeups. That’s why we have different kinds of life
scientists—botanists, zoologists and the like who group plants, animals and other living organisms
for easy reference. This way, we will know how to treat all living organisms properly when working
with them or merely existing alongside them.

Let’s Try This

Go to a nearby grocery store or supermarket. Observe how the goods are grouped inside it.
Most stores group similar items together. In a grocery, for example, you will find the dairy
products, meat, canned goods and laundry items in particular designated places. Why is this so?
Things in a store are classified so that it would be easier for buyers to locate what they want to buy.
It would be easier for the seller to make an inventory as well.

Let’s Learn

The same principle applies to our study of living things. Just imagine what will happen if we do
not classify the different living things. Remember, there are more or less five million different species
of plants and animals that exist on earth. With this existing diversity of organisms and new
organisms being discovered all the time, a system for organizing living things is really necessary. The
system of classification we use today was developed by a Swedish naturalist, Carolus Linnaeus.
His classification was mainly based on similarity of structure. Structure refers to how something is
constructed. In plants, this can refer to type of leaf, type of venation, type of habitat, etc. Presently,
we have approximately 500000 different species of plants that have already been defined and
many more are still being discovered. There will be total confusion and disarray then in the living
world, if no system of classification were used.

Let’s Think About This

In what way is classification useful in libraries? at home? in a sari-sari store? in a

supermarket?

Let’s Learn

There are seven major biological grouping or levels of classification that we follow. The
kingdom is the largest group in the system we use. This is further divided into divisions. Each
division is divided into classes. Each class is divided into orders. Each order is divided into families.
Each family is divided into genera (genus, singular). And finally, each genus is divided into the
smallest unit, the species. This classification moves from the most general to the most specific.

7
 Let’s Review

Complete the concept map below showing the seven-level classification system we use for
plants today.

Kingdom

1. ___________________

Class

2. ___________________

Family

3. ___________________

Species

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28. How well did you do?

Let’s Learn

There are two major systems of classification, the artificial and natural systems. The
artificial system of classification used in plants is based on size, water requirement, ability to
manufacture food, habitat, habits and life span. In other words, classification under this system is
based on similarities. The natural system of classification is based on the structural and
evolutionary relationships among the organisms.
The following are some of the bases on which plants are classified using the artificial system:
1. Size—plants may be microscopic or macroscopic. Microscopic plants are those that
are not visible to the naked eye.
Examples: plants belonging to the Oedegonium and Spirogyra genera
Macroscopic plants are those that can be seen with the naked eye. The plants that
you can see around you are macroscopic.

8
2. Water requirement
a. Xerophytes—live in places with only a little amount of water such as deserts.
Examples: cacti, acacia, makahiya
b. Mesophytes—require moderate amounts of water.
Examples: santan, rose, sampaguita, sunflower
c. Hydrophytes—live in habitats with abundant water.
Examples: kiyapo, water hyacinth, water lily

3. Ability to manufacture food

a. Autotrophic—plants that manufacture their own food through photosynthesis.
Examples: all green plants
b. Heterotrophic—plants that depend on other organisms or dead organic matter
for food.
Examples: all carnivorous plants

4. Habitat—place where a plant grows.

a. Aquatic plants—those that live in water.
Examples: lotus, water hyacinth, water lily
b. Terrestrial plants—those that live on land. Most of the plants you see around
you are terrestrial.
c. Aerial plants—those that live above ground on other plants or cling to other
objects for support.
Examples: orchid, bird’s nest

5. Life span
a. Annuals—complete their life cycles (grow, flower, set seeds, die) within one
year or season.
Examples: onion, garlic, patola
b. Biennials—complete their life cycles in two years or seasons.
Examples: carrot, papaya, potato
c. Perennials—those that live for many years.
Examples: most of the trees we see around us

9
 6. Habit—refers to the general appearance of plants.
a. Trees—tall, woody, perennial plants with single stems or trunks.
Examples: narra, mahogany, santol
b. Shrubs—short, woody, perennial plants with several main stems growing from or
near the ground.
Examples: gumamela, bougainvillea, adelfa
c. Herbs—plants with soft stems.
Examples: oregano, aloe vera (sabila), damong marya
d. Vines—climbing plants.
Examples: ampalaya, squash, patola

Let’s Try This

Go to the garden and get ten samples of plants from different areas. Study your specimens
carefully keeping in mind what you learned earlier.
Fill up the table below by putting checks under the appropriate columns that correspond to
the characteristics of each plant specimen.
Heterotrophic
Macroscopic
Microscopic

Hydrophyte
Autotrophic
Mesophyte
Xerophyte

Terrestrial

Name of
Perennial
Biennial
Aquatic

Annual

Plant
Shrub
Aerial

Herb
Vine
Tree

10
 Answer the following based on your observations.
1. According to habitat, what kind of plant is the most common?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. What kind of plant were you not able to observe?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. How many plants did you observe climbing trees or other objects? Name them.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Let’s Learn

There are other systems used in classifiying plants. One such system was formulated by
Hopson and Wessells in 1990.

Major Groups of the Plant Kingdom

Number
of
Division/Class
Living
Species

7000 Chlorophyta (green algae)

4000 Rhodophyta (red algae) Algae
1500 Phaeophyta (brown algae)
6000 Bryophyta
6000 Hepaticae (liverworts)
Nonvascular plants
100 Anthocerota
8500 Musci (mosses)
13 Psilophyta (whisk ferns)
1000 Lycophyta (club mosses) Seedless
15 Spherophyta (horsetails) plants
12000 Plendophta (ferns) Land
plants
100 Cycadophyta
Vascular
Ginkophyta
Gymnosperms plants
3 (genera) Gnotophyta
550 Coniferophyta Seed
235000 Anthophyta Plants
170000 Dicotyledoneae Flowering
plants
65000 Monocotyledoneae

11
 Different authors use different systems of classification. Examine closely how Hopson and
Wessells grouped the different plants. Take note of the approximate number of species per
division.

Let’s Review

Study the table on the preceding page and answers the questions below.
1. Based on Hopson and Wessells’s classification, into how many divisions is the plant
kingdom divided?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

2. How many of these divisions are aquatic?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

3. How many are terrestrial?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

4. Differentiate nonvascular from vascular plants.

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

5. Based on the data given by the authors, what is greatest in number?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28. How well did you do?

12
 Let’s See What You Have Learned

Match the terms in Column A with their descriptions/definitions in Column B. Write the
letters of the correct answers only.
Column A Column B

_____ 1. Annuals a. It is the process of grouping or organizing

living things

_____ 2. Carolus Linnaeus b. It is the largest group in the seven-level

system of classification we use today

_____ 3. Artificial system c. It is the system of classification based on

superficial similarities

_____ 4. Classifying d. He was the first scientist who classified

living things
e. Plants that live for only one year or
_____ 5. Kingdom
season
f. Plants that are usually tall, woody and
_____ 6. Vascular plants
perennial
g. Plants that hang on or are attached to
_____ 7. Flowering plants trees or other objects
h. The number of levels of classification in
_____ 8. Trees the system devised by Carolus Linneaus
i. Considered as the most abundant group
_____ 9. Aerial plants of plants
j. Plants that use tubes in transporting
_____ 10. Seven substances within them

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29. How well did you do?

13
Let’s Remember

♦ Classifying is the proper ordering and grouping of living things.

♦ There are more or less five million different species of plants and animals that exist on
earth. Half a million of these are plant species.
♦ Carolus Linnaeus was the first scientist to classify living things. He was the first to set
up a two-kingdom system—the animal and plant kingdoms.
♦ At present, we are using a five-kingdom system.
♦ The artificial system of classifying plants is more widely used than the natural system.
♦ The kingdom is the largest unit of classification in the seven-level system we use today.
♦ The species, on the other hand, is the basic unit of classification.
♦ Plants are also grouped into vascular and nonvascular.

14
 LESSON 2

Algae

Do you love going to parties? What dishes are usually served in parties? Perhaps you
usually eat leche flan, cheese sticks, buko salad, macaroni salad, gelatin and ice cream. If so,
you have just taken in an ingredient coming from algae. Did you know that most of the food that
you eat at parties and even at home are made of a special ingredient that comes from algae?
Cheese, mayonnaise, gelatin and evaporated milk are especially mixed with this ingredient.
Try to read the labels on cans of certain food products and see if “carrageenan” appears as
one of their ingredients. Carageenan is a mixture used as a stabilizing or thickening agent. It is
extracted from algae. It is a major ingredient of toothpastes, cosmetics, paints, ceramics and the
like.
After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
♦ recognize and describe green, brown and red algae; and
♦ discuss the economic importance of algae.

Let’s Try This

Try to look for algae in your surroundings. Observe them based on the characteristics listed
in the table below. Write your observations in the appropriate spaces in the table.

Color Size Appearance Texture Habitat Uses (If Any)

Algae 1

Algae 2

Algae 3

Algae 4

Algae 5

Based on color, how many kinds of algae did you collect?

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

15
 Let’s Learn

Green Algae

Codium Ulva

Green Algae
The major pigment in green algae is chlorophyll. There are about 6000 species of green
algae. Most of them live in freshwater. Only about 10% of them are found in the sea. A few
species live on land.
Look at the picture on the preceding page again. Are you familiar with the plants in the
picture? The algae in the picture are Codium fragile or “pokpoklo” to the Ilokanos. These two
algae are popular to some housewives because they are edible. They are often served as salads.
They are good sources of iodine too.

Brown Algae

Sargassum

Brown algae are multicellular or composed of many cells. Their brown color is caused by
the pigment fucoxanthin. They are also known as kelps. They are common in coastal areas
especially those with cold water.
Examine closely the picture above. Are you familiar with this algae? A Sargassum or
“kulafo” in Visayan grows well in the tropics. It has air bladders and has been found to be a
primary food for fishes.

16
Red Algae

Gelidium

Red algae grow in tropical waters and along rocky coasts in colder waters. They attach
themselves to rocks by specialized cells called holdfasts. They possess a photosynthetic pigment
called phycoerythrin that allows them to grow in deep waters. Are you familiar with the plant in
the figure above? This is a Gelidium which is a primary source of agar used in making gelatin.

Let’s Read

Read the following trivia about the different kinds of algae.

♦ Seaweed culture in our country is a booming industry. Many seaweed farms can be
found in Camiguin and its neighboring towns. People in these places grow “gozo”
which is harvested every 45 days and sold at more or less =P4.00 per kilo (fresh
weight). Most of their harvests are even exported to other countries.
♦ Japanese restaurants usually wrap sushi rolls with nori, a Japanese term for Porphyra.
This red algae is grown in special farms in our country particularly in the Ilocos region.
They are popularly called “gamet.”
♦ In the 70s, a species of temperate algae was discovered in the Philippines along the
coasts of the Ilocos region. This species was named after the late president Ferdinand
E. Marcos, Porphyra marcosii, popularly known as “gamet” among the Ilocanos.

17
 Let’s Learn

The different kinds of algae can be used in different ways.

♦ Algae are the primary producers in an aquatic food chain.
♦ Algae serve as food for humans and other animals.
♦ Some algae are used as medicines or purgatives.
♦ Some algae are used as fertilizers.
♦ Algin or alginic acid, a substance from brown algae, prove very useful with their
remarkable water-absorbing qualities.
♦ Carrageenan which can be derived from red algae are used as thickeners or food
stabilizers. It is a common ingredient of toothpastes, surgical jellies and ointments. It is
also used in making sherbets, ice creams, confectioneries and other frozen delights.
Ceramics, paints and cosmetics are also made with carrageenan.
♦ Agar from red algae are used in making bread, pastries and desserts. It is also used as
a culture medium in microbiological laboratories.
♦ Finally, algae provide much of the earth’s free oxygen during photosynthesis.

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Match the terms in Column A with their descriptions/definitions in Column B. Write the
letters of the correct answers only.

Column A Column B

_____ 1. Green algae a. Their color is caused by the pigment

fucoxanthin
_____ 2. Brown algae b. They possess a photosynthetic pigment
called phycoerythrin that allows them to
_____ 3. Red algae grow in deep waters
c. Their major pigment is chlorophyll
_____ 4. Kelps
d. Specialized cells that allow red algae to
_____ 5. Holdfasts attach themselves to rocky coasts
e. Another name for brown algae

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29. How well did you do?

18
Let’s Remember

♦ Algae are the simplest among all the multicellular plants.

♦ Most algae are aquatic. Some are found in freshwater bodies and a few are terrestrial.
♦ There are three groups of muticellular algae—the green algae, the brown algae and the
red algae.
♦ The major pigment in green algae is chlorophyll.
♦ The color of brown algae is caused by the pigment fucoxanthin.
♦ Red algae possess a photosynthetic pigment called phycoerythrin that allows them to
grow in deep water.
♦ Algae have several uses—as the primary producer in an aquatic food chain, as food,
as sources of medicines, as fertilizers and as stabilizers and thickeners.

19
 LESSON 3

Liverworts, Hornworts and Mosses

(The First Land Plants)

Have you ever suddenly slipped on what you thought was smooth, solid ground? You got up
and started to walk only to slip again. You looked around and saw that the ground was covered
with something carpet-like. Do you know what it is? Well, they are called mosses or lumot in
Tagalog. You see them in wet and moist places. You have probably seen them covering walls,
rocks, stones and old buildings. They also abound in thick forests.
Have you ever tried to see what they really look like? You will notice that they are green and
small, in fact, less than a few centimeters tall. They grow in masses close to the ground.
Mosses do not have true roots, stems and leaves. Isn’t that interesting? All along, you
probably thought that all plants had roots, stems and leaves. But not these plants! And what’s
more, these plants don’t grow from seeds unlike other plants you know. They grow from spores
which are tiny seedlike bodies from which new mosses grow. Spores are equivalent to seeds in
the higher forms of plants.
Mosses are classified as simple plants. They adapt differently to land life. What features
allow them to adapt to land life?
After studying this lesson, you should be able to:
♦ identify and describe mosses, hornworts and liverworts; and
♦ discuss the economic importance of these plants.

Let’s Try This

Prepare the following materials:

♦ a transparent plastic bag;
♦ a sharp scalpel or knife;
♦ a hand lens (if possible); and
♦ an old newspaper.

Walk around your neighborhood after it rains. Observe the tiny green plants attached to the
soil or to rocks and stones. They are not readily seen individually but they grow in masses and
look like mats on the soil.
With the scalpel or knife, scrape the tiny plants together with a portion of the land on which
they are attached. Place them in the plastic bag and upon reaching home, lay them separately on
the newspaper. Now, examine them closely and answer the questions on the next page.

20
 Answer the following questions briefly.
1. What do you call the plants you collected?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

2. In what kind of environment did you find them?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

3. Do you think they can produce their own food?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29. How well did you do?
Going back to our lesson on classification, you will find out that in Hopson and Wessells’s
classification, these three kinds of plants—liverworts, hornworts and mosses—were grouped
under one division—Bryophyta. The bryophytes, as they are commonly called, are composed
of mosses, liverworts and hornworts. They are considered the first land plants. They do not have
tubes that facilitate the transport of substances inside them which is the reason why they are called
nonvascular plants. Some say that these bryophytes must have come from the ancestral green
algae that we have just discussed.

Let’s Learn

Did you know that the bryophytes are considered the “amphibians” of the plant world?
They can survive in both land and water.

Liverworts
The word liverwort can be divided into two words—liver which means the plant is liver-
shaped and wort which literally means “plant” or “herb.” Before, it was believed that this plant
was useful in treating ailments of the liver. However, no proof was found that it was effective even
though until now this plant is still universally called liverwort.
Examine closely the pictures found on the next page. Notice that the flattened, leaflike plant
bodies of liverworts are attached to the ground by rhizoids instead of roots. The tips of the
leaflike structures are lobed or liver-shaped.
Male and female liverworts differ in the kind of reproductive structures they possess.

21
 Male and female liverworts

Let’s Review

Answer the following questions briefly.

1. How did liverworts get their name?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

2. What structure in liverworts is equivalent to the roots of other plants?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29. How well did you do?

Let’s Learn

Hornworts
Hornworts got their name from resembling small cattle horns. They seldom exceed 2 cm in
diameter and are usually found in moist soil and shaded areas or they may be attached to trees.
The hornworts are smaller in size and number compared to the liverworts and mosses. They are
not as abundant as the other groups and so, you might find it more difficult to locate these plants
compared to the others.

22
 Let’s Think About This

A friend of yours lives close to the Sahara Desert in Africa. She wants to grow a garden of
mosses. Is this a good idea? What do you think will happen to her garden?
There are only about 100 species of hornworts distributed around the world. They differ
from other bryophytes in several aspects. It is even said that they are closer in features to the
green algae. They have one chloroplast for each cell and pyrenoids which serve as food
reservoirs also found in algae. Refer to the picture of the Anthoceros, a common hornwort,
below. They look like cattle’s horns, don’t they?

Hornworth (Anthoceros)

Let’s Review

Answer the following questions briefly.

1. How did the hornworts get their name?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

2. What makes them more closely related to green algae than to the other bryophytes?
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

3. What type of habitat do hornworts usually live in?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29. How well did you do?

23
 Let’s Learn

Mosses
This is the most common kind of bryophytes around us. They look like soft, green carpets
on forest floors or moist walls. About 10000 species of mosses are presently known. They are
the plants that we often step on in wet and moist places.

Let’s Read

At one time during World War I, a nurse at a camp in France ran out of bandages for
wounded soldiers. In desperation, she tried to substitute soft, green carpet-like plants near moist
places for bandages. To her surprise, the plants even helped prevent further infection of the
soldiers’ wounds.
Mosses are of two parts—the sporophyte and the gametophyte. The familiar leafy green
part is the gametophyte. Growing from the top of the gametophyte is the sporophyte. It
appears as a stalk tipped with a spore-bearing capsule.

Let’s Review

Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Why do mosses look like green carpets?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

2. What do you call the leafy green part of a moss?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

3. Where can you find the spores of mosses?

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 30. How well did you do?

24
 Let’ Learn

Mosses, hornworts and liverworts are often called the “pioneer” species since they are the
first to grow in any environment after a volcanic eruption or a forest fire, for example. They also
perform other important functions such as:
♦ They are ideal for water absorption. A kilo of dry peat moss, for example, can absorb
25 kg of water making it very useful as a soil conditioner in plant nurseries and as a
component of a potting mixture. It also has some antiseptic substances that can prevent
infection or the growth of germs.
♦ They can also be used as fuels.
♦ They are ideal for packing fragile or breakable materials for transport.
♦ They also prevent soil erosion.
♦ They play an important role in soil formation.

Let’s Think About This

What conditions should you consider if you want to grow bryophytes?

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Match the terms in Column A with their descriptions/definitions in Column B. Write the
letters of the correct answers only.

Column A Column B

_____ 1. Bryophytes a. Small nonvascular plants anchored to the ground by

rhizoids
_____ 2. Nonvascular plants b. Small bryophytes often found along streambanks or
other moist environments
_____ 3. Liverworts
c. Bryophytes having small leafy often tufted stems
bearing sex organs at their tips
_____ 4. Hornworts
d. Haploid stage of a plant in alternation of generations
_____ 5. Mosses that produces gametes
e. Also known as bryophytes
_____ 6. Pyrenoids
f. Rootless, thin-stemmed aquatic herbs that have
flowers with sephaloid perianths and single carpels
_____ 7. Gametophyte
g. Protein bodies in the chromatophores of algae that act
_____ 8. Sporophyte as centers for starch deposition
h. Diploid stage of a plant in alternation of generations
that produces spores

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 Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 30. How well did you do?

Let’s Remember

♦ Mosses, hornworts and liverworts are examples of nonvascular land plants.

♦ Bryophytes thrive in wet and moist places.
♦ Bryophytes grow in groups or clusters.
♦ Bryophytes can be used as packing materials, soil conditioners and absorbants. Some
also have antiseptic values.
Well, this is the end of the module! Congratulations for finishing it. Did you like it? Did you
learn anything useful from it? A summary of its main points is given below to help you remember
them better.

Let’s Sum Up

This module tells us that:

♦ Classifying is the proper ordering and grouping of living things.
♦ There are more or less five million different species of plants and animals that exist on
earth. Half a million of these are plant species.
♦ Corolus Linnaeus was the first scientist to classify living things. He was the first to set
up a two-kingdom system—the animal and plant kingdoms.
♦ At present, we are using a five-kingdom system.
♦ The artificial system of classifying plants is more widely used than that of the natural
system.
♦ The kingdom is the largest unit or classification in the seven-level system we use
today.
♦ The species, on the other hand, is the basic unit of classification.
♦ Plants are also grouped into vascular and nonvascular.
♦ Algae are the simplest among all the multicellular plants.
♦ Most algae are aquatic. Some are found in freshwater bodies and a few are terrestrial.
♦ There are three groups of multicellular algae—the green algae, the brown algae and the
red algae.
♦ The major pigment in green algae is chlorophyll.
♦ The color of brown algae is caused by the pigment fucoxanthin.

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 ♦ Red algae possess a photosynthetic pigment called phycoerythrin that allows them to
grow in deep water.
♦ Algae have several uses—as a primary producer in an aquatic food chain, as sources
of medicines, as fertilizers and as stabilizers and thickeners in various industrial
processes.
♦ Mosses, hornworts and liverworts are examples of nonvascular land plants.
♦ Bryophytes thrive in wet and moist places.
♦ Bryophytes grow in groups or clusters.
♦ Bryophytes can be used as packing materials, soil conditioners and absorbants. Some
also have antiseptic values.

What Have You Learned?

Fill in the blanks with the correct answers.

1. __________ was the Swedish naturalist who introduced the system of classifying
plants and animals.
2. __________ is the smallest unit of classification of plants we use today.
3. Living things are classified as to __________ .
4. There are already __________ plant species that have been discovered and
identified.
5. The most abundant algae in the world are the __________.
6. __________ is a substance that can be derived from red algae.
7. The __________ are the most common kind of bryophytes.
8. Mosses usually grow in __________ places.
9. The __________ are the structures that hold the spores in bryophytes.
10. Plants without vascular bundles are called __________ .

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 30. Did you get a perfect
score? If you did, that’s very good, you may now study another module. If you didn’t, don’t
worry. Just review the parts of this module that you didn’t understand very well before doing so.

27
 Answer Key

A. Let’s See What You Already Know (pages 2–3)

1. (a)
2. (c)
3. (b)
4. (b)
5. (c)
6. (c)
7. (d)
8. (c)
9. (b)
10. (c)

B. Lesson 1

Let’s Review (page 8)

1. Phylum
2. Order
3. Genus

Let’s Review (page 12)

1. According to it, the plant kingdom is divided into 13 divisions.
2. Three of these divisions are aquatic.
3. Ten of these divisions are terrestrial.
4. Vascular plants are those that have tubes or vascular systems through which
food, water and minerals pass. Nonvascular plants do not have such parts.
5. The Anthophyta or flowering plants are the most abundant.

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 Let’s See What You Have Learned (page 13)
1. (e)
2. (d)
3. (c)
4. (a)
5. (b)
6. (j)
7. (i)
8. (f)
9. (g)
10. (h)

C. Lesson 2
Let’s See What You Have Learned (page 18)
1. (c)
2. (a)
3. (b)
4. (e)
5. (d)

D. Lesson 3
Let’s Try This (pages 20–21)
1. They are called bryophytes—mosses, liverworts and hornworts.
2. In wet and moist places.
3. Yes, because they also contain chlorophyll.

Let’s Review (page 22)

1. Liverworts got their name from the liver-like shape of their gametophytes.
2. The rhizoids act as roots for bryophytes.

Let’s Review (page 23)

1. The hornworts were so-named because they resembled cattle’s horns.
2. The presence of a single chloroplast per cell and the formation of pyrenoids as
photosynthetic products made them more like the green algae.
3. They thrive in wet and moist environments.

29
 Let’s Review (page 24)
1. Because they are very soft and grow in clumps or clusters thereby looking like
carpets instead of plants.
2. They are called gametophytes.
3. They are located in the capsules.

Let’s See What You Have Learned (page 25)

1. (a)
2. (e)
3. (b)
4. (f)
5. (c)
6. (g)
7. (d)
8. (h)

E. What Have You Learned? (page 27)

1. Carolus Linnaeus
2. species
3. lessen confusion
4. five million
5. green algae
6. Carrageenan
7. mosses
8. wet and moist places
9. sporangia
10. nonvascular plants

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 Glossary

Agar A gelatinous substance produced by certain red algae often used as a culture medium
particularly for bacteria.
Algin A gelatinous substance produced by certain brown algae used in a wide variety of food
substances and pharmaceuticals as well as industrial and household products.
Alternation of generations Alternation between the gametophyte and sporophyte phases in
the life cycle of sexually-reproducing organisms.
Annual Plant that completes its entire life cycle in a single year or growing season.
Antheridium A reproductive structure in plants that produces sperm.
Artificial classification Classification of plants based on superficial similarities.
Biennial A plant that normally requires two years or seasons to complete its life cycle.
Bryophyte A photosynthetic, terrestrial, aquatic or epiphytic plant without vascular bundles.
Classification The process of grouping, naming and identifying organisms.
Fucoxanthin A brownish pigment found in brown algae.
Gametophyte A gamete-producing phase in the life cycle of an organism that exhibits
alternation of generations.
Kingdom The highest unit of classification.
Macroscopic Can be seen with the naked eye.
Microscopic Cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Nonvascular plants Also known as bryophytes or plants that do not have vascular systems.
Pyrenoids Food reservoirs found in many algae.
Species The basic unit of classification.

References

Balzer, L. and P. L. Goodson. Introduction to Biology. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and
Company, 1986.
Daniel, L., E. Ortleb and Alton Biggs. Merill Life Science. New York: Macmillan/McGraw-Hill,
1994.
Mauseth, James T. Botany. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1996.
Miller K. R. Biology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1991.
Stern, K. R. Introductory Plant Biology. U.S.A.: Wm. C. Brown Publishers, Inc., 1986.
Wong, H. K. and M. Dolmatz. Biology: The Key Ideas. New York: Globe Book Company,
Inc., 1986.

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