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Difference between Monocotyledon and Dicotyledon

Difference between Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons. Learn more about the differences in seeds, leaves, stems, roots, and flowers of Monocots and dicots along with their examples.

Flowering plants are types of plants that can produce flowers and bear fruits. They are commonly called angiosperms. There are about 300,000 species of flowering plants reported to date. The word angiosperm has its origin from the Greek word angeion and Sperma, where angeion means vessel and Sperma means seed. Flowers are popularly called the reproductive organs of plants. They play a key role in inbreeding. It widely differs into two types based on its flowers, roots, stem, leaves, seeds, structure and function.

Monocotyledons

Monocots are typically known as grass-like flowering plants. As the name suggests they are composed of a single cotyledon. They consist of about 60,000 widespread species around the world out of which 20,000 species belong to the orchid family. They differ from other angiosperms in the aspects of uniformity and diversity.

Uses

Monocot plants play a key role in being commercially and economically important plants. Rice, wheat, and maize serve as the basic food for consumption. Orchids and Lilies are widely used as decorative plants considering their aesthetic nature. They are used in the production of a wide range of medicines that are in great need of saving lives.

Examples

Some of the commonly existing monocot plants are Maize, wheat, coconut, banana, lilies, orchids, aloe vera, daffodils, iris, palm trees, bamboo, pineapple, dates, onions, garlic, barley and more.

Dicotyledons:

Dicots are types of flowering plants belonging to the class of angiosperms. As the name suggests it is composed of two cotyledons. There ate about 200,000 types of dicots existing around the globe. They differ from monocots based on their structure, function and distribution.

Uses

Dicot plants are flowering plants that bear true fruits. Fruits like mango, guava, papaya are cultivated on a large scale for consumption and exportation to different countries which indirectly plays a key role in economic development. Peas, beans serve as nutritious food and also act as manure for plants. Rose, dandelions are grown as decorative plants. Other plants are also used as construction materials, raw materials for biofuel production, and in some medicinal drug production.

Examples

Some of the commonly found dicot plants are peas, beans, mango, guava, papaya, rose, sunflower, castor, radish, tomato, tamarind, tomato, dandelion, avocado, plum, oliver, hazel, jasmine and more.

Difference between Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons

The below table gives a detailed description of the differences between Monocotyledons and Dicotyledons

CharacteristicsMonocotyledonsDicotyledons
DescriptionFlowering plants that are herbaceous and rarely found to be arboraceousFlowering plants that exist in both herbaceous and  arboraceous

Seeds

Number of cotyledonSingleDouble
EndospermLargeSmall
Seed coatFused with pericarpDistinct from walls of fruits
Protective sheathPlumule has coleoptile for protection and coleorhiza protects radicleAbsence of protective sheath

Leaves

OrientationIso-bilateralDorsi-ventral
Number of leavesOneTwo
TypeNarrow and elongatesWide
VenationParallelReticulate
StomataAmphistomaticHypostomatic
MesophyllUndifferentiatedDifferentiated
Motor cellsPresentAbsent
Xylem vesselsTwo protoxylem, two metaxylemMany protoxylem and metaxylem
Bundle sheath compositionSclerenchymaCollenchyma
Bulliform cellsPresentAbsent

Stem

Vascular BundlesScattered formRegularly arranged form
Vascular Bundles locationStemForms ring
Vascular Bundles countNumerous4 to 8
Sclerenchymatous bundle capsAbsentPresent
Metaxylem elementsTwoMany
Protoxylem lacunaPresentAbsent
Xylem elementsCircularPolygonal
PithAbsentPresent
PericycleAbsentPresent
Medullary raysAbsentPresent
Ground tissueUndifferentiatedDifferentiated
HypodermisSclerenchymatousChlorenchymatus
TrichomesAbsentPresent
Silica depositionAbsentPresent

Roots

XylemPolyarchTetrarch
PithLargeAbsent
MetaxylemCircularPolygonal
Conjunctive tissueSclerenchymatousParenchymatous
Secondary growthPresentAbsent
SystemFibrous root systemTaproot system

Flower

Floral partsThreeFour or five

Examples

ExamplesGrasses, banana, orchids, palm tree, lilies, arums, bambooPeas, beans, oaks, cactus, mango, guava, papaya, rose, radish.

Conclusion

Flowering plants play a chief role in maintaining a controlled diversity among the ecosystem. The flowering plants propagate easily which makes them useful in various fields. Flowering plants are the base for agriculture where monocots like bananas, palm trees, bamboo and grasses are used for the consumption of humans, animals, construction of buildings, decorative purposes, etc. Dicots like peas, beans, and mango are commercially cultivated on a large scale for regular consumption and use. They carry many nutritional values that make them more ideal for intake as food.

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Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the NEET UG Examination Preparation.

What is a cotyledon?

Answer: A cotyledon can popularly be called an embryonic leaf. It is the first leaf that arises from the seed...Read full

What is the importance of flowering plants?

Answer: Flowering plants serve as the primary platform for pollination. It helps to balance biodiversity. In ...Read full

What does a dicot seed look like?

Answer: The protective seed coat, or testa, covers the outside of the seed. Th...Read full

State some plants that are monocots?

Answer: Onions, Orchids, Rice, Ginger, Sugarcane, tulips, bamboo, agapanthus, ...Read full