Video Transcript
What are the three types of
nonvascular plants?
This question is asking us to
identify some types of plant, but what are plants?
Plants are multicellular organisms
that can make their own food by a process called photosynthesis. All plants have cells which contain
chloroplasts. The chloroplasts contain
chlorophyll, which is a green pigment that absorbs sunlight energy for
photosynthesis. Photo- means light, and synthesis
means to make. So they use light to make their own
food. This question mentions that these
plants are nonvascular plants. Let’s remind ourselves of the
differences between vascular and nonvascular plants.
Vascular plants have vessels to
carry water and food all over the plant, whereas a nonvascular plant does not. The food the plant makes is carried
from the leaves to anywhere that it is needed in one type of vessel. Water and minerals are carried from
the roots to the leaves in another type of vessel. Together, these vessels make up the
vascular system.
Nonvascular plants are considered
to be the earliest living plants on the planet. Because they do not have a vascular
system to carry water and food, they are much smaller than vascular plants and live
in water or moist areas. Three well-known nonvascular plants
are mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Mosses tend to form green clumps or
mats, as shown here. Liverworts are leafy or ribbonlike
green plants, as shown here. This picture shows the main part of
the plant in the background, with the reproductive organs growing upwards. Many aquatic hornworts have a
feathery appearance, like this one shown here.
We therefore have the correct
answer to the question. The three types of nonvascular
plants shown here are moss, liverworts, and hornworts.
