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Structure of Monocot seed

In this article, we will learn about the monocot seeds, their characteristics, structure, emergence and uses.

Depending on the number of cotyledons present in the seed, angiosperms are classed as monocots or dicots. The seed is made up of an embryo that is encased in a seed coat that protects it from the elements. A triploid endosperm has been discovered in some seeds. A radicle, an embryo axis, and cotyledons are the three sections of an embryo. 

Angiosperm seeds have been categorised into two types based on the number of cotyledons – 

  1. Monocots
  2. Dicots

Monocots:

Inside the seed coat of monocots, there will only be one seed leaf. Because the endosperm that feeds the future plant is not inside the seed leaf, it is usually merely a thin leaf. Monocot seeds include rice, wheat, maize, bamboo, palm, banana, ginger, onion, garlic, lilies, daffodils, iris, and tulips, among others. 

Examples of monocots: 

Maize seed: 

  1. The maize grain is a single-seeded caryopsis fruit. Because the ovary is securely linked to the seed coat, these fruits are moncarpelate and indehiscent. A kernel is a name given to the maize caryopsis.
  2. The embryo, endodermis, and carpel wall or seed coat are the three sections of the grain or kernel.
  3. The endosperm takes up the most space within the seed and is divided into two types: floury endosperm and horny endosperm.
  4. The kernel embryo is made up of a cotyledon, also known as a scutellum, that attaches to the embryo axis via the scutellar node.
  5. Epithelium, parenchyma, epidermis, and perivascular tissue are the four different tissues that make up the scutellum.
  6. The epithelium is a single cell layer found beneath the starchy endosperm that is made up mostly of hemicelluloses and contains very little cellulose. 

Characteristics of monocot seeds:

  1. With an embryo, Cotyledon is solitary. 
  2. With the pore, pollen is solitary. 
  3. The flower’s parts are in three-digit multiples. 
  4. The primary leaf veins run parallel. 
  5. Vascular bundles are strewn across the stem Roots of adventure. 
  6. Secondary growth is not present. 

Structure of monocot seeds:

Monocotyledonous seeds are usually endospermic, however, some, such as those found in orchids, are not. The seed coat of cereal seeds, such as maize, is membranous and usually united with the fruit wall. The endosperm is a large, thick organ that stores food. A proteinous layer termed the aleurone layer separates the embryo from the endosperm’s outer covering. 

The embryo is tiny and sits in a groove at one end of the endosperm. It consists of a scutellum, a huge shield-shaped cotyledon, and a short axis with a plumule and radicle. Coleoptile and coleorhiza are sheaths that surround the plumule and radicle, respectively. 

Flowering plants are classified as monocotyledons. Monocot seeds, sometimes known as monocotyledons, include corn, wheat, and rice. Inside the seed coat of monocots, there is only one leaf. It’s usually just a sliver of a leaf. Ginger, banana, sorghum, onion, coconut, and garlic are examples of monocot seeds. 

The scutellum is the only big cotyledon found in monocotyledonous seed embryos. The scutellum is usually formed like a shield. It is found on the side of the embryo axis, laterally. Monocotyledons have a shoot tip, plumule, that is enclosed in a sheath leoptile, similar to dicotyledons. Monocotyledons, like dicotyledons, have a plumule at the end of their embryo axis. The endosperm of a monocotyledonous seed is protected by a proteinous covering known as the aleurone layer. The aleurone layer protects the endosperm in monocotyledonous seeds. The bulk of monocotyledonous seeds are albuminous, meaning they have thick, swelling endosperms that provide nutrition. The endosperm is the feeding tissue in seeds that are not completely consumed during embryo development. 

Uses of monocots:

Monocots are among the most economically and culturally important plants, accounting for the majority of the world’s basic foods, such as cereal grains and starchy root crops, as well as palms, orchids, and lilies, as well as construction materials and numerous medications. The grasses are the most economically important monocots as a source of animal and human food and account for the majority of agricultural species in terms of biomass generated. 

Conclusion:

Monocotyledonous Seed is important to research since it is found in a wide range of plants, is the second most common category of plants, and is adapted to live in bogs. Monocotyledons, such as lilies and Lychee trees, are the second most common type of plant in the world. Monocotyledon research is essential since they are the second most common plant category and grow wider than Dicotyledons.

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How does a monocot seed grow?

Ans. The primary root penetrates the seed (and fruit) covers and grows downward, while the plant’s primary leaf gr...Read full

What is the structure of a monocot?

Ans. Seeds with a single cotyledon, parallel-veined leaves, scattered vascular bundles in the stem, the absence of a...Read full

What are the characteristics of monocots?

Ans. Monocots have a single cotyledon, parallel-veined leaves, scattered vascular bundles in the stem, no convention...Read full

What type of roots do monocots have?

Ans. The root system of monocots is made up of a network of fibrous roots, as seen in the illustration to the right....Read full

Is coconut a monocot?

Ans. The trunk and stem of the coconut palm are woody perennial monocotyledons. As a result, the coconut is monotypi...Read full