Explore topic-wise InterviewSolutions in .

Cotyledons, or seed leaves, are structures formed by the embryo of angiosperms to absorb nutrients from the endosperm and to store and transfer these nutrients to the embryo. (Cotyledons are auxiliary embryonic structures).

Seeds of monocots have a single cotyledon. Seeds of dicots have two cotyledons.

The main functions of fruits are the protection and spreading of seeds. 

Fruits are modified ovaries of the flowers.

The fecundation in angiosperms triggers the release of hormones that act upon the ovaries. The ovary wall then develops into a fruit that contains the seeds.

Plants that produce single-seeded fruits, for example, mango and avocado, of ten have ovaries with only one egg inside. Fruits with more than one seed are originated from plants whose ovaries have more than one egg.

In some so-called fruits the actual fruit is not the flesh part. For example, the flesh part of the strawberry is not the fruit. The fruits are the small hard dots on the surface of the strawberry. Another example: the flesh part of the cashew is not the fruit. The fruit is the nut. 

The edible part of the onion is the stem of the plant and not the fruit.

A tendency of the gametophyte evolution in plants has been towards the formation of gametes that are independent from water. In bryophytes and in pteridophytes the fecundation is totally dependent on water. In phanerogamic plants such dependency does not exist.

Another tendency is the reduction in the size and duration of the gametophyte. In bryophytes the gametophyte is indeed the lasting stage. In pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms it became the temporary stage and its relative size was successively reduced.

A third evolutionary trend relates to the interdependency between gametophytes and sporophytes. In bryophytes the sporophyte is entirely dependent on the gametophyte to survive. In the remaining plants the sporophyte is the independent stage and the once autotrophic gametophyte in bryophytes and pteridophytes became dependent upon the sporophyte in the phanerogamic plants.

Androecium is the set of male reproductive structures of flowers. It comprehends the stamens formed of filament and anther; one flower has one androecium that may have one or several stamens. Gynoecium is the set of female reproductive structures of flowers. It generally is composed of a single pistil that includes the stigma, the style and the ovary. The androecium usually surrounds the central gynoecium.

Besides the androecium and the gynoecium typical flowers are also made of peduncle, sepals and petals.

Angiosperm plants are divided into monocotyledonous (monocots) and dicotyledonous (dicots). 

Flowering plants have flowers and seeds (phanerogamic plants). They differ from gymnosperms by having their seeds within fruits.