Difference Between Algae And Bryophytes

On Earth, there are two forms of primitive autotrophs: algae and bryophytes. Both creatures have a thalloid body structure that is undifferentiated. Algae are important primary producers and oxygen producers in habitats such as fresh and saltwater water. Bryophytes, which live in a hybrid of aquatic and terrestrial environments, are the most basic land plants.

Bryophytes are thought to have evolved from algae. Cellulose is found in the cell walls of both algae and bryophytes. The vascular system is absent in both algae and bryophytes. The primary distinction between algae and bryophytes is the division of the plant body; in algae, there is no division of labour, but in bryophytes, the plant body is divided into photosynthetic and storage zones.

Algae

Algae are plant-like creatures categorised as part of the kingdom Protista. They are primarily unicellular and can be found in freshwater, marine, and wastewater environments. The majority of algae are autotrophs, meaning their cells contain photosynthetic pigments. Other nutrition strategies include heterotrophic and mixotrophic algae.

Autotrophy and heterotrophy are two nutrition mechanisms used by mixotrophic algae. Aquatic food systems rely on autotrophic algae as the principal producers. Algae produces over 70% of the oxygen we breathe.

Algal cells in the plant body have the ability to develop and reproduce. Algal bodies range in size from microalgae to macroalgae. Prokaryotic microalgae are cyanobacteria. They’re also known as blue-green algae. Macroalgae are seaweeds. 

During asexual reproduction, algae create motile spores. The merging of male and female gametes produced in distinct individuals results in sexual reproduction in eukaryotic algae. As a result, sexual dimorphism exists in eukaryotic algae. 

Classification of Algae

The three morphological types of algae are Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, and Phaeophyta. The Chlorophyta family of algae is the most diverse. Chlorophyta pigments include chlorophyll, beta-carotene, and xanthophylls. 

As a result, Chlorophyta is known as green algae. Rhodophyta are red algae that contain the photosynthetic pigment phycoerythrin. Phaeophyta are dark algae that contain the photosynthetic pigments chlorophyll c and fucoxanthin. A brown seaweed called Laminaria saccharina. Kelp is a common name for it.

Bryophytes

Bryophytes is a phylum of non-vascular land plants that belongs to the Plantae kingdom. They are spore-producing plants with a life cycle that is dominated by the gametophyte stage. Bryophytes are plants that do not produce seeds or flowers. 

The majority of them are autotrophs. Since some bryophytes, such as liverworts, lack chlorophyll, they must depend on a fungal partner for nutrition. Bryophytes thrive in wet, shaded environments, where they produce phenolic chemicals that repel herbivores. The water collected by bryophytes benefits other plants as well.

Bryophytes are microscopic plants that range in size from a millimetre to one metre long strands. Rhizoids, which are root-like structures, enabling the plant to anchor on a surface. Rhizoids aren’t water-absorbent microorganisms. 

The plant body conducts water inside, which is absorbed by the plant body. Bryophytes reproduce asexually by fragmentation and small aggregations known as gemmae. During sexual reproduction, water transports sperm to the eggs. 

The gametophyte, which is made up of spore capsules, is formed when gametes are fertilised. The spores produced by the sporophyte are distributed by the wind. Oedipodium griffithianum gametophyte with gammae.

Classification of Bryophytes

The three divisions of bryophytes are Marchantiophyta (liverworts), Bryophyta (mosses), and Anthocerotophyta (hornworts). Liverworts are moss-like leafy plants with flattened leaves. Costa is not found in the leaves of liverworts.

Liverworts, on the other hand, have marginal cilia. Mosses are made up of basic, one-cell thick leaves that are linked to a stem. They grow in bunches of dense green. Costa is a midrib seen in mosses that runs lengthwise through the leaf. The gametophyte of hornworts has a horn-like, elongated sporophyte. A liverwort called Jamesoniella undulifolia.

Difference between Algae and Bryophytes

Conclusion

Algae and bryophytes are two forms of primitive plants that belong to the kingdoms Protista and Plantae, respectively. Algae and bryophytes both thrive in damp environments. Autotrophs make up the majority of algae and bryophytes. Chlorophyll is the most prominent photosynthetic pigment in bryophyta, however algae also contain a variety of other photosynthetic pigments. 

Algae and bryophytes both have thallus-like plant bodies that don’t have roots. Bryophytes have two types of structures: photosynthetic and storing structures. Rhizoids are root-like structures found in bryophytes that allow for surface anchoring. The organisation of the plant body in each group of organisms is the main difference between algae and bryophytes.