Question

Sphagnum may be used as a substitute for
(a)Absorbent cotton
(b)Non Absorbent cotton
(c)Plastic
(d)Polythene

Answer 1

Hint: Sphagnum is a type of moss that has a special ability to store large quantities of water inside their cells which helps them in drier conditions. These are commonly known as peat mosses and grow in watery habitat.

Complete answer:
Sphagnum is a genus of mosses known commonly as peat moss and these can be used as a substitute for absorbent cotton. They can store water in large quantities inside their cells which can be 16 to 26 times as much as their dry weight. In drier conditions, the empty cell's water holding capacity can be life-saving.

Additional Information: Let us know more about peat moss:
The genus Sphagnum includes 380 accepted species of moss which grows spreading into drier conditions and forming large mires- raised bogs and blanket bogs. This growth of mosses provides habitat for various peatland plants like sedges and ericaceous shrubs, some orchids, and carnivorous plants.
They have a distinct structure that helps them to adapt to the watery habitat which supports them as well. They have a capitulum- a rosette of leaves which gathers energy through photosynthesis. The main body has a stem and branches and leaves protruding from it. The lower part is dead.
Like other bryophytes, they have an alternation of generation in which the haploid gametophyte one is dominant and persistent and does not rely upon rhizoids to assist in water uptake. They can be unisexual as well as bisexual. Asexual reproduction occurs by fragmentation.
So, the correct answer is "absorbent cotton".

Note: The water-holding ability of these mosses makes them useful in various ways. These are used as a soil conditioner that can increase the capacity of the soil to hold water and nutrients, especially in the case of sandy soil. Dried Sphagnum mosses are often used as an insulating material in regions of the North Arctic. The anaerobic acidic nature of Sphagnum bogs gives them the ability to preserve plant fragments and pollen as well as human bodies, hair, and clothing.