Question

The characters of thallophyta is/are
A. Plant body thallus.
B. Non-vascular plant.
C. Sex organ are unicellular and without jacket of sterile cell.
D. All the above.

Answer 1

Hint: Thallophytes are the primitive forms of life having a simple plant body. The plant body is devoid of roots, stem, leaves, and other differentiated structures.

Complete answer:
Thallophytes are a polyphyletic group (having more than one common evolutionary ancestor) of non-mobile organisms, grouped based on the similarity of characteristics but do not share a common ancestry. Formerly, they were categorized as a subkingdom of Kingdom Plantae. Thallophytes include lichens, algae, fungus, bacteria, and slime moulds and bryophytes.
Some of the characteristics of Thallophytes are listed as:
- They are usually present in moist or wet regions. This adaptation is due to the absence of true roots and vascular tissue which are required to transport water and minerals. Hence they are found in moist or wet places.
- They are preferably autotrophic (manufacture their own food) in nature. But a few members like fungi are dependent on other sources of food.
- Reserve food is generally starch. After photosynthesis, glucose is produced and consumed almost immediately, the remaining glucose is converted into complex compounds called starch.
- A cell wall is present, composed of cellulose around their cells.
Sex organs are simple, single-celled, there is no embryo formation after fertilization and without a jacket of sterile cells.
So, the correct answer is (d) ‘All of the above’.

Note:
Thallophytes are classified into two categories: Algae and Fungi. Algae are chlorophyll containing thalloid whereas Fungi are achlorophyllous thus heterotrophic thallophytes.