Purpose:
1. To observes slides of liverworts, mosses, and ferns.
2. To observe the structural features of Bryophytes and Tracheophytes
3. To better understand the evolution of plant life and the ways in which these plants are and are not suited to a life on land.

Materials:
Prepared slide of Marchantia Gemmae Cup
Prepared slide of Marchantia sporophyte
Prepared slide of moss antheridium
Prepared slide of moss archegonium
Prepared slide of sphagnum sporophyte
Prepared slide of Fern (polypodium) sori
Prepared slide of Fern (polypodium) rhizome
Prepared slide of Fern young sporophyte
Living specimens of ferns (if possible)

This is an in depth lab that looks at the structures of mosses, liverworts, and ferns. You will need quite a few prepared slides to be able to do this lab. Students are asked to compare Bryophytes to Tracheophytes and will discuss which are truly adapted to life on land and why.

Your download will include lab sheets that are ready to be copied and passed out to your students. You can choose to have students write their own lab report or you can use the included Student Data Sheets. You will receive both an editable Word document as well as a pdf of the lab.

All answers are included.

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