Cotyledons are structures in plant seeds that function as food reserves for the embryo during germination. Cotyledons are found in seeds and can be found in two-piece seeds (dicots) or one-piece seeds (monocots).
What’s that
Cotyledons are primitive organs located at the bottom of the cells of any multicellular organism, whose function is to store and distribute nutrients to other cells. Cotyledons are formed from the oosphere (the inside of the ovum) and the spermatozoon (the cells from the heart of the little finger) after the fertilization process (the union of the ovum and spermatozoon).
Cotyledons have a round shape and there are two or more in an organism. The cotyledons in a zygote (the result of fertilization) are known as blastula (organisms that have a blastocoel, namely the empty space between cell layers). The cotyledons inside the blastula are known as blastomeres (cells on the surface of the blastula).
Cotyledons have a round shape and do not have transport segments, such as arteries and veins in the body. Cotyledons also do not have system organs, such as the heart, lungs, and brain. Cotyledons only have the function of providing nutrients to other cells and channeling them through the vascular system.
Some things you need to know about cotyledons are:
- Function: Cotyledons play an important role in providing nutrition to the embryo during germination. When seeds germinate, the cotyledons will grow into the first leaves or institutional leaves that are capable of photosynthesis.
- Number of Cotyledons: Plant seeds can be classified based on the number of cotyledons they have. Two-piece plants have two cotyledons, such as beans, peas, and green beans. Meanwhile, one-piece plants have one cotyledon, such as rice, corn and wheat.
- Structure: Cotyledons are usually leaf-shaped and located inside the seed. The size and shape of cotyledons can vary between different plant species.
- Role in Germination: When seeds germinate, the cotyledons will grow and transport nutrients to the embryo. After growing into institutional leaves, the cotyledons will replace their role as a food source by carrying out photosynthesis.
Function
Cotyledons have an important function in the process of embryogenesis (the formation of a new organism), namely to provide nutrients to other cells and channel them through the vascular system (transportation in the body). Cotyledons also have a function to maintain the health of other cells, such as protecting other cells from radiation and microbes.
Cotyledons also have an important function in the reproductive process, namely to provide nutrients to gametes (reproductive cells) and embryos (new organisms). The cotyledons in the gametes are known as gametophytes, which are new organisms formed from gametes. The cotyledons in the embryo are known as endosperm, which is a new organism formed from gametes and zygote (the result of fertilization).
In summary, cotyledons are structures in plant seeds that function as food reserves for the embryo during germination. Cotyledons play an important role in providing nutrition to the embryo and can grow into institutional leaves capable of photosynthesis. The number of cotyledons in seeds can vary between two-piece plants and one-piece plants.
Question
The following are five questions about cotyledons and their answers:
1. What is the main function of cotyledons?
Answer: The main function of cotyledons is to provide nutrition to the embryo during germination.
2. How many cotyledons do pea seeds have?
Answer: Pea seeds have two cotyledons, so they are classified as two-cotyledon seeds (dicots).
3. What happens to the cotyledons when the seed germinates?
Answer: When a seed germinates, the cotyledons will grow and serve as a food source for the embryo. Then, the cotyledons will develop into the first leaves or institutional leaves which are capable of photosynthesis.
4. What is the difference between dicot seeds and monocot seeds?
Answer: The main difference between dicot seeds and monocot seeds is the number of cotyledons. Dicot seeds have two cotyledons, while monocot seeds only have one cotyledon.
5. What are examples of monocotyledonous plants that have cotyledons?
Answer: The rice plant is an example of a one-piece plant (monocot) which has cotyledons.
With that said, here are five questions and answers regarding cotyledons.