Cut a transverse section of young stem of a plant from your school garden and observe it under the microscope. How would you ascertain whether it is a monocot stem or a dicot stem? Give reasons
Final Answer An earlier classification of plants, which is still followed, groups plants into monocots and dicots. When viewed under a microscope, the transverse section of the stems of the two types can be identified by observing the following differences: In a dicot stem, the epidermis has multicellular hair. These epidermal hair are absent in monocot stems. Dicot stems are solid and green due to collenchyma, whereas monocot stems are usually hollow in the centre and are non-green due to sclerenchyma. The ground tissue in dicot stems is well differentiated into stelar and extra-stelar regions. This differentiation is absent in monocot stems. Endodermis is present in dicot stems but absent in monocot stems. In dicot plants, the vascular bundles are open, i.e. cambium is present between xylem and phloem. They are about 4-8 in number and arranged in the form of a rings. In monocot plants, closed vascular bundles are found, which means cambium is absent. They are much more in number and scattered in the ground tissue.
