Question

what is the main function of cotyledons​

Answer 1

Answer:

A cotyledon is a significant part of the embryo within the seed of a plant. Upon germination, the cotyledon usually becomes the embryonic first leaves of a seedling. The number of cotyledons present is one characteristic used by botanists to classify the flowering plants (angiosperms).

Answer 2

Answer:

☆Function of Cotyledon

In dicot plants, the cotyledons are photosynthetic and function like leaves. The cotyledons are the first part of the plant to emerge from the soil. Some cotyledons last only days after growing from the soil and give way for other plant growth, while some cotyledons can last for years. The cotyledons are important for the new plant as it begins to grow because they contain the stored food reserves from the seed to give the plant its initial burst of energy to grow.

Explanation:

✯What Is a Cotyledon?

A cotyledon is part of the embryo within the seed of a plant. Often when the seed germinates, or begins to grow, the cotyledon may become the first leaves of the seedling. Botanists use the number of cotyledons present in the seed of a plant as a means of classification. Monocots are seeds that have only one cotyledon, while dicots are plants with two cotyledons. The cotyledons are formed during the process of embryogenesis along with the roots and shoots of the plant prior to germination.

✯Structure of a Monocotyledonous Seed

• Corn, wheat and rice, are examples of monocot seeds or monocotyledons.

• Embryos of a monocotyledonous seed possess only one large cotyledon called scutellum. The scutellum is generally shield-shaped and is located laterally towards a side of the embryo axis. As in dicotyledons, the embryo axis of monocotyledons possesses a shoot tip, plumule, enclosed in a sheath called coleoptile and a root tip, radicle, enclosed in coleorhiza. In a monocotyledonous seed, the endosperm is covered by a proteinous layer called aleurone layer.

• The majority of the monocotyledonous seeds are albuminous seeds, i.e., they have thick, swollen endosperms for nourishment. The endosperm is not completely consumed during embryo development, and it is the nourishing tissues in seeds. However, some monocotyledons like orchids show exceptions.

• Other monocot seeds examples include ginger, banana, sorghum, onion, coconut and garlic.

◉FURTHER LEARNING

✯What is Dicotyledon

Dicotyledon, or dicot for short, refers to one of two main groups into which flowering plants (angiosperms) are categorized. Most flowering plants are traditionally divided into two different categories: monocots and dicots. Members of each group tend to share similar features.

✯Structure of a Dicotyledonous Seed

• Peas, almonds and cashews are examples of dicotyledons or dicot seeds.

• Dicotyledons are also known as dicots. They are the groups into which all the flowering plants or angiosperms were formerly divided. The name dicotyledons refer to the seed having two embryonic cotyledons. There are around 200,000 species of dicotyledons discovered till date.

• In dicotyledons, the embryo consists of an embryo axis and two cotyledons. Cotyledons generally have a swollen appearance as it acts as a food reserve for the developing seedling. The embryo axis has two ends. The one which forms the shoot tip is called plumule and the portion at the lower end which forms the root tip is called the radicle. The whole content is enclosed within a protective cover called the seed coat. The seed coat is made up of an outer layer called testa and an inner layer called tegmen. Moreover, the seed is attached to the fruit through a structure called hilum.

• Other dicot seeds examples include apples, plums and peaches.

✯Examples of Dicotyledon

☆Oak Trees

Although we generally don’t think of these trees as flowering plants, they do in fact have insignificant, inconspicuous flowers. These flowers are often overlooked because they are small and yellow-green, often just blending in with their surroundings.

☆Daisies

The daisy is an herbaceous plant without secondary growth. Normally, secondary growth is a tell-tale sign of a dicot, but the daisy’s lack of secondary growth does not mean it is not a dicot; in fact, only about half of dicot species are woody. Instead of using the presence or absence of secondary growth to determine whether the daisy is a dicot, there are other characteristics that you can look for.

☆Roses

Rosa is a genus containing over 100 species of perennial shrubs in the rose family, and roses are, in fact, woody. In the wild, roses usually grow five petals, consistent with the pentamerous pattern seen in all dicots.