Algae do not have ________ compared to ferns and flowering plants.

Algae lack supporting or conducting tissues, which distinguishes them from more complex plants like ferns and flowering plants. In vascular plants, supporting and conducting tissues—such as xylem and phloem—are essential for the transportation of water, nutrients, and sugars throughout the plant, allowing them to grow larger and thrive in diverse terrestrial environments.

Algae, on the other hand, are primarily simple, unicellular or multicellular organisms that often live in aquatic environments. They generally absorb nutrients directly from the water and do not require specialized tissues for support or transport, as many species are small or have a structure that does not necessitate such systems.

The other options involve features that algae may possess or do not directly distinguish them from ferns and flowering plants. For instance, algae do contain chlorophyll, which allows them to perform photosynthesis. Some algae may also have structures that function similarly to roots or leaves, and therefore it is their lack of vascular tissue that is the defining characteristic in this context.