Monocot and dicot embryo development:

In plant embryology, there are two main types of embryo development: monocotyledonous (monocot) and dicotyledonous (dicot) embryo development. These terms refer to the number and arrangement of cotyledons, which are the primary leaves of the embryo.

Dicot embryo development:
In dicotyledonous plants, the embryo development is characterized by the presence of two cotyledons, which are the first leaves to emerge from the embryo. The dicot embryo development can be divided into several stages:

1. Zygote formation: After fertilization, the zygote is formed by the fusion of the male and female gametes.

2. Embryo sac development: The zygote undergoes several divisions to form the embryo sac, which consists of the proembryo, suspensor, and endosperm.

3. Embryo differentiation: The proembryo differentiates into various parts, including the shoot apex, root apex, and cotyledons. The cotyledons develop as two separate structures that are initially small and undifferentiated.

4. Cotyledon growth: As the embryo continues to develop, the cotyledons enlarge and become more specialized. They store nutrients and serve as the primary food source for the germinating seedling.

5. Seed maturation: During seed maturation, the embryo undergoes a period of dormancy and acquires desiccation tolerance. This enables the seed to survive adverse environmental conditions until favorable conditions for germination are present.

Monocot embryo development:
In monocotyledonous plants, the embryo development is characterized by the presence of a single cotyledon. The monocot embryo development can be summarized as follows:

1. Embryo sac development: Similar to dicots, the zygote undergoes divisions to form the embryo sac, which consists of the proembryo, suspensor, and endosperm.

2. Embryo differentiation: The proembryo differentiates into various parts, including the shoot apex, root apex, and cotyledon. However, in monocots, the cotyledon remains small and undifferentiated, and it does not store significant amounts of nutrients.

3. Primary root development: Monocots typically have a single, primary root that emerges from the embryo and serves as the main anchor and nutrient absorber for the seedling.

4. Seed maturation: Similar to dicots, the monocot embryo undergoes a period of dormancy and acquires desiccation tolerance during seed maturation.

Overall, the main difference between monocot and dicot embryo development lies in the number and specialization of cotyledons. Dicots have two well-developed cotyledons that store nutrients, while monocots have a single, small cotyledon that does not serve as a significant nutrient source.

Monocot have one cotylidon and dicot has two .