Question

What is the meaning of the suffix ‘sperm’ in angiosperm and gymnosperm?
A. Both produce motile sperms
B. Both produce non-motile sperms
C. Both produce seeds
D. Both produce food

Answer 1

Gymnosperms and angiosperms are a group of plants that bear seeds and have some similarities. This factor is due to the presence of gymnosperms as early as 200million years before angiosperms. They are believed to have shared a common ancestor.

Complete solution: The suffix sperm in angiosperms and gymnosperms is the Latin word translating to “Seed”. Therefore, as the name suggests, angiosperms and gymnosperms are seed-bearing plants. Therefore, the correct answer is option C. Both produce seeds.
Gymnosperms consist of seeds that lack an enclosure and are present on leaf-like structures called the bracts. They produce seeds and cones and are flowerless plants. They are considered to be polyphyletic in nature and are divided into several extinct divisions including four subgroups namely cycadophytes, conifers, ginkgo, and ephedras. Examples of gymnosperms include Blue spruce, scots pine, mountain pine, etc to name a few.
Angiosperms are flowering plants that contain fruit-covered seeds for instance mango, and also include plants such as acorns, beans, wheat, rice, maple seeds, maize, etc to name a few. Angiosperms can be classified into two categories namely, monocots and dicots. Monocots are plants that consist of a single cotyledon (also known as an embryonic leaf), whereas dicots consist of two cotyledons.
Apart from bearing seeds, both angiosperms and gymnosperms are autotrophic in nature, i.e they manufacture their food in the presence of sunlight from inorganic materials such as carbon dioxide, water, and mineral salts.
Therefore, the suffix sperm in angiosperms and gymnosperms is the Latin word translating to “Seed”

Note: Gymnosperms are considered to be resilient and can thrive in extreme climatic conditions. The cone is the female reproductive organ in a gymnosperm, while the pollen is the male reproductive organ. In angiosperms, the flowers are considered to be the reproductive organs.