Read the following paragraph and fill in the blanks with appropriate words :-
In pteridophytes the main plant body is ____(A)______which bears sporangia that are subtended by leaf-like appendages called ______(B)____. The sporangia produce spores by ______(C)_______ and after germination of spores, they give rise to photosynthetic gametophytes called ______(D)_________.
Choose the correct option :-

Options

A. `{:(A,B,C,D,),("Sporophyte","Sporangia","Meiosis","protonema",):}`
B. `{:(A,B,C,D,),("Gametophyte","Sporophylls","Mitosis","Sporophyte",):}`
C. `{:(A,B,C,D,),("Sporophyte","Sporophylls","Meiosis","Prothallus",):}`
D. `{:(A,B,C,D,),("Gametophyte","Sporophylls","Mitosis","Protonema",):}`

Answer

To fill in the blanks in the given paragraph about pteridophytes, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the main plant body of pteridophytes**:
- In pteridophytes, the main plant body is the **sporophyte**. This is the diploid phase of the plant's life cycle.
- **Fill in (A)**: Sporophyte.

2. **Determine what the sporangia are subtended by**:
- The sporangia are subtended by leaf-like appendages known as **sporophylls**. These structures are specialized leaves that bear sporangia.
- **Fill in (B)**: Sporophyll.

3. **Understand how sporangia produce spores**:
- Sporangia produce spores through the process of **meiosis**. This is a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in haploid spores.
- **Fill in (C)**: Meiosis.

4. **Identify what the spores give rise to after germination**:
- After the spores germinate, they develop into photosynthetic gametophytes known as **prothallus**. This is the gametophyte stage in the life cycle of pteridophytes.
- **Fill in (D)**: Prothallus.

### Final Filled Paragraph:
In pteridophytes, the main plant body is **(A) sporophyte** which bears sporangia that are subtended by leaf-like appendages called **(B) sporophyll**. The sporangia produce spores by **(C) meiosis** and after germination of spores, they give rise to photosynthetic gametophytes called **(D) prothallus**.