Question

Which of the following characteristics do land plants share with their closest algal relatives? Select all that apply.

		populations of apical cells that maintain their meristematic identity
		multicellular haploid and diploid generations
		cytoplasm that may be continuously connected between whole populations of cells
		an external waxy skin separating the plant body from its environment

Answer 1

1, 2, 3

Algae and all land plants have meristematic cells at the apex of their bodies. The cells are are actively dividing cells and help in the growth of the plant body.

All all the plants, algae and all land plants, alternate between two generations, haploid gametophyte and diploid sporophyte. This is called as alternation of generation.

All the cells in all the plants show cytoplasmic continuity because they have plasmodesmata between cells which help in the movement of cytoplasm from one cell to another. Algae have spores in between the cells for maintaining the cytoplasmic connectivity.

The thin waxy covering is present only in land plants so as to protect themselves from heat and desiccation and water loss.

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