Plant Kingdom
Explore the dorsiventral thallus of Marchantia in 3D — a classic NEET liverwort. Click the green dorsal surface (diamond air chambers + gemma cups), flip to the pale ventral side (rhizoids + scales), and study the two gametophores: the scalloped ♂ antheridiophore and the finger-lobed ♀ archegoniophore.
click parts to learn · Flip to see the ventral side · drag to rotate
5 minutes · +4 right, −1 wrong (real NEET marking) · one global leaderboard.
Marchantia is a liverwort, a member of the division Bryophyta (the 'amphibians of the plant kingdom'). The plant body is a flat, green, dorsiventral thallus that branches dichotomously. Liverworts are considered the simplest and most primitive of the bryophytes.
The thallus is dorsiventral — it has a distinct upper (dorsal) and lower (ventral) surface. The dorsal surface is green, divided into diamond-shaped areolae, each with a barrel-shaped air pore leading to an air chamber containing photosynthetic filaments. The ventral surface bears rhizoids and multicellular scales for anchorage and absorption.
Gemma cups are tiny cup-shaped structures on the dorsal surface that contain gemmae — green, multicellular, biconvex (lens-shaped) bodies. Gemmae are agents of asexual (vegetative) reproduction: rain water splashes them out of the cup, and each gemma grows into a new thallus. This is a frequently asked NEET point.
Both are erect, stalked sexual branches (gametophores). The antheridiophore is the male branch — a stalk topped by a disc with a wavy, scalloped margin that bears antheridia (producing biflagellate antherozoids). The archegoniophore is the female branch — a stalk topped by an umbrella with finger-like radiating rays, bearing archegonia (with eggs) on its underside. Marchantia is dioecious, so these occur on separate plants.
The air pores are barrel-shaped openings on the dorsal surface that lead into air chambers. Unlike stomata, they have no guard cells and therefore cannot open or close — they remain permanently open. They allow gaseous exchange for the photosynthetic filaments in the air chambers below.
Rhizoids are hair-like, unicellular outgrowths from the ventral surface that anchor the thallus and absorb water and minerals. There are two types — smooth-walled and tuberculate (with internal pegs). They are not true roots: they are unicellular, lack vascular tissue, and have no root cap or true structure.
Yes. Marchantia appears in the Class 11 chapter 'Plant Kingdom' under Bryophyta. NEET commonly tests the dorsiventral thallus, gemma cups and gemmae (asexual reproduction), the difference between air pores and stomata, rhizoids vs scales, and the dioecious antheridiophore/archegoniophore. It is a high-yield representative liverwort.
The barrel-shaped pores present on the dorsal surface of the Marchantia thallus differ from the stomata of higher plants because they: