Which of the following phyla is characterized by having a dominant sporophyte stage, vascular tissue, needle-like leaves, and producing seeds that are not enclosed in fruits?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To tackle the question, I’ll evaluate what each option implies about plant life cycles and characteristics.
Option a: Angiosperms. These are flowering plants that produce seeds enclosed in fruits, and they typically have vessel-formed vascular tissue and diverse leaf types. The key point here is the presence of fruits enclosing seeds, which contradicts the clue that seeds are not enclosed in fruits. So this option mismatches the given traits.
Option b: Bryophytes. Bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, hornworts) have a dominant gametophyte stage, not a dominant sporophyte, and they lack true vascular tissue. Since the statement requires a dominant sporophyte and vascular tissue, bryophytes do not fit the description.
Option c: Gymnosperms. Gymnosperms (conifers, cycads, ginkgo, gnetophytes) have a dominant sporophyte generation, possess vascular tissue, often exhibit needle-like leaves in many lineages, and produce seeds that are not enclosed in fruits (i.e., naked seeds). This combination precisely matches the features described in the question.
Option d: Pteridophytes. Pteridophytes include ferns and their relatives; they have vascular tissue and a prominent sporophyte, but they reproduce via spores rather than seeds, and they do not produce seeds at all. They also do not produce seeds that are not enclosed in fruits, which makes this option incompatible with the stated traits.
From the above, the set of characteristics—dominant sporophyte, vascular tissue, needle-like leaves, and seeds not enclosed in fruits—aligns uniquely with gymnosperms, distinguishing them from the other options due to the seed condition and leaf morphology, among other features.
In summary, option c correctly matches all the described characteristics, while the other options fail to align with one or more of the specified traits, leading to their incorrectness.

BIO 181 (001&002) FALL 2025 3F- Self-Check: Eukaryote Kingdom: Plantae (LO 3F.1, 3F.2, 3F.3)

Which of the following phyla is characterized by having a dominant sporophyte stage, vascular tissue, needle-like leaves, and producing seeds that are not enclosed in fruits?

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