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How do monocot seeds differ from eudicot seeds?

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The primary distinction between monocot and eudicot seeds lies in the number of cotyledons (seed leaves) present within the embryo:

  • Monocots: These seeds contain a single cotyledon. In many monocots, such as grasses, this cotyledon is specialized into an enzyme-secreting organ called a scutellum, which functions to absorb and mobilize nutritional reserves from the endosperm for the developing seedling.123
  • Eudicots: These seeds typically possess two cotyledons. In many eudicots, these cotyledons serve as the primary storage site for nutritional reserves. After germination, they may either remain belowground or emerge above the soil to become photosynthetic organs.143

While both groups utilize double-fertilization to produce an embryo and often a nutrient-rich endosperm, the structural role of the cotyledon is a defining characteristic used to classify these two major groups of angiosperms.13