🍀 Roots of Curiosity: What Makes Monocots and Dicots Different?

CUBE chat
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:seedling: CUBE ChatShaala Summary – 13th September 2025

Main Theme: Seed Germination – Monocotyledon vs Dicotyledon

Today’s discussion revolved around the fascinating process of seed germination, with a special focus on understanding the differences between monocotyledon and dicotyledon seeds. Participants explored Green Gram (Moong) seed germination, observing visible changes and documenting each stage through experimental setups.

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  • Experimental Highlight: Sneha’s setup (Image 2) demonstrated early stages of dicot seed germination where seed coats were splitting and embryonic parts became visible. Numbered seeds helped track progressive stages.

  • Comparison Point: Another observation (Image 3) showed tiny monocot seeds scattered, raising curiosity about how they germinate differently compared to dicots.

  • Whiteboard Focus (Image 1): The guiding questions revolved around what distinguishes monocot from dicot germination? and what can we learn by comparing green gram seeds with monocot seeds like paddy?

:sparkles: TINKE Moments (This I Never Knew Earlier)

  1. Seeds of different types (monocots vs dicots) show distinct patterns in food storage and embryonic development.

  2. Germination is not just about sprouting roots but a coordinated process involving energy reserves, cotyledons, and environmental triggers.

  3. Even simple kitchen experiments with pulses can reveal fundamental biology concepts.

:herb: Gaps and Misconceptions Identified

  • Some confusion arose about whether cotyledons themselves emerge as green leaves in all dicots, or whether they sometimes remain inside the seed.

  • Misunderstanding between seed coat splitting and actual germination initiation (radicle emergence as the true indicator).

  • A gap in connecting classroom textbook definitions of monocot/dicot to real-life seed experiments.

:mag: Provocative Questions to Inspire Further Thinking

  • Do monocot and dicot seeds need the same environmental conditions for germination?

  • In green gram, why do the cotyledons come out and turn green, whereas in monocot seeds like maize, they stay underground?

  • Can we trace energy use during germination—what happens to stored starches, proteins, and fats?

  • If we sprout seeds in different directions (light vs dark, wet vs dry), will monocots and dicots respond differently?

:star2: What I Learned Today

I learned that simple seed germination studies can open windows into plant diversity, physiology, and adaptation strategies. Comparing green gram with cereals like rice or maize is not just a botanical curiosity but also a lesson in how evolution has shaped different survival strategies in plants.

:camera_flash: Photographs during Chatshaala

  • Sneha Maurya Bhandup West, Mumbai, Maharashtra

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:books: Reference

@Arunan @sakshiconsultant2002 @SN1261 @2020ugchsncnseethala @dhanraj7 @shama @Hemant and others.

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The CUBE Chatshaala experiments place the seed on a plane surface, a horizontal tissue paper or a plate. In nature, the germination usually happens in soil volume, sometimes from the soil surface. Please do not experiment on germination on a plane surface. The roots should go down into the soil. The cotyledon then can be epigeal and rise above the ground. Otherwise, the cotyledon is hypogeal remaining underground.

Maybe you can place the seeds between two moisturized vertical tissue paper or cotton cloth and see the root going down and the cotyledon epigeal or hypogeal. Feel that epigeal seeds placed around 1 cm from the top edge will come out. We can find out the best seed depth for green gram.

Hope to see pictures of green gram germinating epigeally!

Do an experiment to show epigeal and hypogeal germination

The question and the answer to experiment with epigeal bean and hypogeal peas were by Indians and seen in brainly.in . The CUBE Chatshaala experiment can be shared with brainly.in; it will be better than the first answer that uses potting soil?

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Better to use Cotton Gauze to create a volume similar to soil for seed germination experiment. Tissue paper will break down when wet. Cotton cloth will make it difficult for the roots and shoots to pass through; neither can we see the germination nor growth. Cotton gauze is best.