Biology 12th Edition

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 0078024269
ISBN 13: 978-0-07802-426-9

Chapter 23 - Plant Evolution and Diversity - Engage - Thinking Scientifically - Page 434: 4

Answer

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Work Step by Step

I would expect the sporophyte generation of a fern to have more mitotic divisions than that of a moss. This is because the sporophyte of a fern is a more complex and developed structure than the sporophyte of a moss. In ferns, the sporophyte is a large, leafy structure that produces numerous spores through meiosis. These spores are then released into the environment, where they can develop into new gametophyte plants. The development of such a complex sporophyte structure likely requires more mitotic divisions during its growth and maturation. In contrast, the sporophyte of a moss is much simpler in structure, consisting of a small capsule that produces spores. While moss sporophytes do undergo mitotic divisions, they are likely to be fewer in number than those in ferns due to their simpler structure. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the sporophyte generation of a fern would have more mitotic divisions than that of a moss.
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