Bryophytes are photosynthetic but do not have vascular tissue and true roots. This feature enables them to resemble with which of the following ?

Bryophytes, which include mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, are photosynthetic land plants that lack true vascular tissues (xylem and phloem) and true roots, instead using rhizoids for anchoring [t2][t3][t4]. These characteristics make them resemble algae. Algae are defined as non-vascular, autotrophic organisms that possess chlorophyll but lack differentiation into true organs like roots, stems, and leaves [c1][c5]. While both groups are photosynthetic, they differ from higher plants like pteridophytes and angiosperms, which possess well-developed vascular bundles and true roots [c2][t4]. Fungi are excluded because they are non-photosynthetic and lack chlorophyll. Bryophytes are evolutionarily linked to green algae, specifically Charophytes, sharing a common ancestor and similar primitive thalloid structures that lack complex tissue differentiation [c4][t1][t10]. Therefore, the absence of vascular tissue and true roots is a shared primitive feature between bryophytes and algae.

Sources

1. [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 9: Indian Biodiversity Diverse Landscape > 1. Algae > p. 156
2. [2] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 9: Indian Biodiversity Diverse Landscape > 6. Pteridophytes > p. 157
3. [3] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 14: Marine Organisms > 14.5. SEAWEEDS > p. 209
4. [4] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns in India > Glossary > p. 99