Scribd
Upload
8 views4 pages

Crop Botany - Lab #2

Uploaded by

Itzz Amelia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
8 views4 pages

Crop Botany - Lab #2

Uploaded by

Itzz Amelia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

AGR 1101 – Crop Botany

Lab # 2 – Morphology and Anatomy of Root


Amelia Sankar
Title: Morphology and Anatomy of Root
Aim: To observe the external and internal features of monocot and dicots roots.
Objectives:
To distinguish between Monocot and Dicot roots.
To prepare a transverse section of dicot and monocot root to study various plant tissues.
Introduction
Roots are an important part of all vascular plants; it is usually found underground but attached to the stem of a plant.
These roots observed consist of two types; Monocot root and Dicot root. There are features in the morphology and
anatomy of Monocot and Dicot roots that can be observed to distinguish and help understand the structure of plants. This
lab will use a method consisting of root slices to study the differences in plant tissues of Monocot and Dicot roots.

Materials: Monocot root, Dicot root, Water, Petri plate, Blade, Stain (safranin) glass slides, needle, coverslip,
Microscope, Tissue paper
Procedure
1) Root samples of each root type were collected and examined.
2) Root material were washed to remove dirt and dissected into pieces.
3) Since roots do not have a waxy cuticle and dries out quickly, they were soaked in water.
4) Holding the root down gently, the dominant hand held the razor blade.
5) In one single downward motion thin cross-sections of the roots were made. Back-and-forth, sawing motions were
avoided. It is extremely important that the blade is held perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the root to ensure
sections of even thickness. Your ability to see clearly will strong depend on how thin you manage to cut the sections.
6) Thin sections made were transferred into a petri dish containing water.
7) On a slide many sections were placed, a drop of water was added and the coverslip was lowered. The coverslip to
avoid air bubbles was placed at one end of the water drop and lowered to cover the slide.
8) Observations of sections were made under microscope.
Observation

Taproot. (Dicot)
As observed in the diagram it shows the cross-
section of a monocot root being viewed under a
microscope. The monocot cross-section is
surrounded by the Piliferous layer with root hair
on the exterior, the interior continues to the
narrow cortex to the vascular cortex which is
surrounded by the epidermis. There in the middle
you can see the ranging positions of the vascular
bundles such as the xylem and phloem vessels.

Fibrous root. (Monocot)


As observed in the diagram it shows the cross-
section of a dicot root being viewed under a
microscope. On the outer layer (Piliferous layer)
has root hairs outside while it covers the inside
which is the cortex that is wide compared to the
monocot. In the middle is the vascular cortex
surrounded by a thick epidermis that protects and
contains the pericycle, the xylem, and the
phloem.
Discussion
Monocot roots are fibrous with lots of thin roots stringing from the stem in ranging directions and growing closer to the
surface, whereas Dicot roots are tap roots, with one big (primary)root and secondary lateral roots that all develop deep in
the soil. The main functions of the root are its responsibility for securing (or anchoring) the plant from the stem into the
ground and serving as a transport system to absorb (and store) water, mineral elements, and nutrients from the soil into the
plant. All of these parts are made up of tissues for it to actually function, it also identifies the differences and similarities
in the two. In this lab, the researchers gathered monocot and dicot roots for examination with the help of a microscope
which enabled us to view the specimens closely enough to distinguish by cutting them into sections. In the monocot was
observed of the root hair surrounding the piliferous layer moving onto is wide cortex (that is made up of sclerenchyma
and parenchyma creating thicker walls), a thick layer (epidermis) that surrounds the vascular cortex. The vascular
structures consist of the xylem and phloem vessels are arranged in a circular pattern around the pith located in the middle.
The dicot root is similarly observed to have root hairs on its piliferous layer, while its cortex (made up of parenchyma
cells that have thin walls) is narrow leading onto the epidermis (thin compared to the monocot). Surrounded by the
epidermis is the vascular containing the xylem and phloem vessels which are noticed to not be in a uniform position and
seem scattered in the vascular cambium. These are some factors that help distinguish between monocot and dicot tissues
with the use of cross-sectioning the roots for observation.

Conclusion
In this research, it was efficient to use the cross-section method under a microscope to better study the similarities and
differences as it has enabled researchers to get a better look to examine the features in monocot and dicot roots. Monocot
roots are fibrous meaning a network of thin roots grow close to the soil surface, while dicot roots have a taproot system with
a primary root and lateral roots deep into the soil. With close examination of the cross-section, monocot roots are found
with a thick-walled cortex built from sclerenchyma and parenchyma cells and surround the epidermis containing the
vascular bundles in its circular pattern around the pith. As per the dicot roots, it structures a narrower cortex that consists of
parenchyma cells that are thinner walls and a thinner epidermis. The vascular tissues in the dicot root appeared in a scattered
pattern within the vascular cambium. These observations made valuable points in identifying the differences between
monocot and dicot root tissues in an effort to instill an understanding of plant morphology and anatomy.
Reference
• Raveendran.B., (2022). Root system - roots, types of roots and functions of roots. BYJUS.

https://byjus.com/biology/root-system/

• Body, V. (n.d.). Monocot and dicot roots. https://www.visiblebody.com/learn/biology/monocot-

dicot/roots

• Libretexts. (2021). 2.3: Root anatomy. Biology LibreTexts.

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Botany/Botany_in_Hawaii_(Daniela_Dutra_Elliott_and_Paula_Mej

ia_Velasquez)/02%3A_Roots/2.03%3A_Root_Anatomy

You might also like