Question

2. Students observe several slides of tissue cross-sections under the microscope. They are asked to develop a key system to classify the slides as coming from either monocot or dicots. What key system should the students develop? 3. What are the functions of stomata and guard cells, and what would happen to a plant if these cells did not function correctly? 4. For parenchyma, collenchyma, and sclerenchyma cells: describe their cell wall structure, their functions, and whether they perform these functions alive or dead.

Answer 1

Answer 2: Firstly a student must understand that Plant Taxonomy relies on basically three important things i.e.

1. Plant Identification-where the identity of the plant is determined.

2. Plant Classification –placing plants into categories and this helps to identify evolutionary relations with others.

3. Plant description- providing a description of new plant species is observed and that too according to IUCN guidelines.

There are many ways to classify plants but the basic idea depends on grouping them, we can here observe these characteristics which can be seen easily through the microscope and is useful for identifying the features of monocots and dicots.

After observing the slides from tissues cross-section under the microscope, the key system according to which students can identify the monocots and Dicots could be:

1. On the basis of Embryo – one of the basic characteristic features of monocot is having one cotyledon and that of dicot is having two cotyledons.
2. On the basis of venation – usually, monocots show parallel venation on their leaf structure whereas, dicots show a network of veins called reticulate venation.
3. On the basis of Stem – another characteristic feature of monocot is having vascular bundles that are completely arranged but in dicots, the vascular bundles are arranged more in a ring fashion.
4. On the basis of the Root system – the monocots slides can be observed for its root structure showing the Fibrous root system whereas, the dicots show the Taproot system.
5. On the basis of Inflorescence- the flowers in monocot are arranged in multiples of three whereas, it is arranged in multiples of five in the case of dicots.

These characteristics or features can be observed in the slides and can help us classify or develop the key system to classify monocots and Dicots.