Q29.1-1CC. Why do researchers identify the ... [FREE SOLUTION]

Chapter 29: Q29.1-1CC. (page 621)

Why do researchers identify the charophytes rather than another group of algae as the closest living relatives of plants?

Short Answer

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Charophytes are identified as the closest relative of the plant as the key characteristics which the charophytes have are found only in the plants. The DNA of charophytes is also more similar to the terrestrial plants.

Charophytes include storage sites for starch, the presence of chlorophyll a and b, cell walls made up of glucose, and the presence of a different mitochondrial DNA, just like a plant cell.

Step by step solution

Plant characteristics

On Earth, green plants have different organs like roots, root nodules, leaves, stems, and flowers. The plant performs photosynthesis to produce energy, and chloroplast is the energy-producing organelle.

Charophytes

Charophytes are a group of green freshwater algae. Charophytes are a more significant organism in investigations of stress-induced plant cell responses. These algae produce abnormally large internodal cells, which are particularly useful in cellular research.

Relation of charophytes to plants

The charophytes are the green algae that possess the closest characteristics of embryophyte plants or land plants. They are smaller than the land plants but still have the same characters as the land plants.

Charophytes have more common features with Angiosperms and other plants. Phragmoplasts, which are formed by charophytes, produce sporopollenin and lignin precursors.

Due to the similarity in both genetic and physical characteristics of plants and charophytes, the charophytes are identified as the closest ancestors of plants.