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NCERT Solutions Curiosity Chapter 2 Activity 2.8: Let us compare — — Dicot and monocot seeds

Book page 20 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.
Remove the seed coat of a chickpea. Now, observe the structure of the chickpea and maize seeds. Are they similar or different?
Answer

They are clearly different. This is what you observe after soaking both for two or three days.

ObservationChickpea (chana) — Fig. 2.6aMaize (makka) — Fig. 2.6b
Seed coatPeels off easily after soakingTightly joined, does not peel off
SplittingSplits neatly into two equal partsDoes not split — stays in one piece
Number of cotyledonsTwo, both thick and fleshyOne, thin
Name of the groupDicotyledon (dicot)Monocotyledon (monocot)
Other seeds like itRajma, moong, matar, groundnut, mustardWheat, rice, jowar, bajra
Why soaking is necessary: a dry seed is stone-hard and would break, not split. Soaking lets the seed absorb water and swell, so the seed coat loosens and the two cotyledons separate along their natural join. Look between them and you can even spot the tiny baby plant with its first root and shoot.
Did you know? The two halves of a soaked chana are the same two halves you see in chana dal. "Dal" is literally the split cotyledons — which is why dal is such a good store of food energy for us too.
Q2.
What relation do you observe among leaf venation, root types and the number of cotyledons in seeds of a plant?
Answer

The three features go together in two fixed sets.

DICOT plants Seed with two cotyledons Leaves — reticulate venation Roots — taproot system Chana, rajma, mustard, mango, gudhal, tulsi, neem MONOCOT plants Seed with one cotyledon Leaves — parallel venation Roots — fibrous root system Maize, wheat, rice, grass, banana, sugarcane, onion
The three features never mix. Knowing any one of them tells you the other two.

In the book's own words: dicot plants have reticulate venation and a taproot system, while monocot plants have parallel venation and a fibrous root system.

Why this is so useful: you rarely get to see a plant's seed, its leaf and its roots all at once. But because the three go together, one observation is enough. Pick up a fallen banana leaf, see the parallel veins, and you already know the banana plant has fibrous roots and grew from a single-cotyledon seed — without digging up a single plant.
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