Video Transcript
The diagram shows some key features
of a plant. Is this plant likely to be a dicot
or a monocot?
Monocots and dicots are two groups
of plants that both belong to a larger group called angiosperms. Angiosperms are flowering plants
that have leaves and vascular systems and produce seeds. Plants can be classified as
monocots, which are otherwise known as monocotyledons, or dicots, which are
otherwise known as dicotyledons, depending on various characteristics.
Cotyledons are the embryonic leaves
of a plant, which are contained within the plant seed and will eventually form the
plant’s first leaves. Cotyledons are an important part of
the embryo within a plant seed. And scientists can use the number
of cotyledons in a seed to classify and name different angiosperms. The prefix mono- means one, so
monocotyledons have one cotyledon. The prefix di- means two, so
dicotyledons are seeds that have two cotyledons.
Let’s compare some of the other
differences between monocots and dicots, specifically differences in their leaves
and roots, so that we can work out which group the plant described in the question
belongs to. The leaves of monocots are narrow,
with veins running parallel to each other. Their roots are fibrous and
branching. The leaves of dicots are likely to
be pinnate or palmate. So they have a much broader shape,
sometimes with the leaflets extending out from a central point. The leaf veins of dicots form a net
pattern. The roots of a dicot are likely to
have one main root, or taproot, from which smaller roots can branch. If we look at the diagrams
provided, we can see that the leaf is narrow, with parallel veins, and that the
roots are highly branched.
With this information, we can
answer the question correctly. The plant in question is likely to
be a monocot.
