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A. Angiosperms were one of the last types of advanced plants to develop and

were the first flowering plants to be seen on Earth. The first land plants were

known as Bryophytes which consisted of mosses and liverworts. They were no

vascular plants which consisted of flagellated sperm and used spores for

reproduction. The lifecycle of these plants were dominated by haploid

gametophyte stage. These plants soon began to evolve into more complex

organisms. Soon vascular plants were introduced then the first seed plants, then

finally the first flowering plants as we know as Angiosperms. Angiosperms

consist of all the parts of the plants mentioned above. It contains seeds, a

vascular system (water transport system), pollen, and most importantly, the

flower. The flower of the plant consists of modified shoot with 4 rings of modified

leaves. The flower contains both male and female parts which are adapted via

mutations in later generations. The parts consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and

the carpel. The stamen is the male portion and the carpel is the female portion.

Pollen carried by wind, and other insects land on the plant which enables

fertilization. The pollen lands on the stigma of the plant. Plants earlier used water

for reproduction and were only restricted to locations that received a lot of rainfall

to spread out their species. However, angiosperms use pollen which eliminated

the requirement for water for fertilization. Pollen was carried and spread through

the wind and by animal. Angiosperms also use seeds to grow. The seed offers

protection of the plant embryo and stores nutrients for growth for the embryo in

the early stages of life. As these embryos grow, they either develop into
monocots or dicots. The lifecycle is dominated by the sporophyte stage. The

sporophyte produces haploid spores by meiosis. Spores develop into multi-

cellular haploid male or female gametophytes which produce gametes by mitosis.

Fertilization yields diploid zygotes that grow into new sporophyte plants.

B. Mosses have not achieved the widespread terrestrial success of angiosperms

because of some anatomical and reproductive aspects. Mosses were the first

known plants on earth which lacked many advanced components that limited the

growth and spread of the bryophytes. Bryophytes were the first land plants which

were nonvascular (contained no water transport system and no true roots) which

limited the acquirement of water. Also the mosses contained no seeds or flowers

which limited its spread and growth as compared to Angiosperms. Also mosses

had swimming sperm which used spores for reproduction. The spores were

haploid cells which sprout to form gametophytes.

C. Plants exhibit an alternation of generations between haploid and diploid,

generations. The sporophyte produces haploid spores by meiosis. Spores

develop into multi-cellular haploid male or female gametophytes which produce

gametes by mitosis. Fertilization yields diploid zygotes that grow into new

sporophyte plants. In Angiosperms, the gametophytes have become reduced to

tiny structures that remain dependent on the sporophyte plant.