What distinguishes vascular plants from non-vascular plants?

Vascular plants are distinguished from non-vascular plants primarily by the presence of specialized tissues known as xylem and phloem. These tissues serve crucial roles in the transport of water, nutrients, and photosynthetic products throughout the plant.

Xylem is responsible for the upward transport of water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant, while phloem transports the products of photosynthesis (mainly sugars) from the leaves to other parts of the plant. This vascular system allows vascular plants to grow taller and access more light, as well as to inhabit a wider range of environments compared to non-vascular plants, which lack these specialized transport tissues. Non-vascular plants, such as mosses and liverworts, rely on diffusion and osmosis for the movement of substances, limiting their size and the habitats they can occupy.

In contrast, the other options present information that does not accurately distinguish between vascular and non-vascular plants. For example, vascular plants are not limited to growth in water; they can thrive in various environments, including terrestrial habitats. Additionally, non-vascular plants can reproduce through both spores and other methods, and vascular plants do require sunlight as a source of energy for photosynthesis.