[Campbell Biology P.684] Which of the following characteristics is present in plants but abs... | Practice Question

Which of the following characteristics is present in plants but absent in their closest algal relatives, the charophyte algae?

  • A: Chlorophyll b
  • B: Cellulose in cell walls
  • C: Sexual reproduction
  • D: Alternation of multicellular generations

Explanation

One of the key distinctions between land plants and their closest algal relatives, the charophytes, is the presence of alternation of multicellular generations in plants. While charophytes also have chlorophyll b, cellulose cell walls, and sexual reproduction, they do not exhibit a life cycle with multicellular sporophyte and gametophyte stages.