Q.Distinguish the anatomy of dicot root from monocot root.

Step 1. Pericycle. In a dicot root, the pericycle gives rise to lateral roots, phellogen (cork cambium) and part of the vascular cambium. In a monocot root, the pericycle gives rise to lateral roots only, since there is no secondary growth for it to support.

Step 2. Vascular tissue (number of strips). A dicot root usually has a limited number of xylem and phloem strips. A monocot root usually has a greater number of xylem and phloem strips.

Step 3. Conjunctive tissue. In a dicot root, the conjunctive tissue (between the xylem and phloem patches) is parenchymatous, and its cells later differentiate into vascular cambium. In a monocot root, the conjunctive tissue is mostly sclerenchymatous, sometimes parenchymatous, but is never differentiated into vascular cambium under any circumstances.

Step 4. Cambium. In a dicot root, a cambium appears as a secondary meristem at the time of secondary growth. In a monocot root, cambium is altogether absent, which is why monocot roots do not thicken with age the way dicot roots can. …

Work through the five standard comparison points - pericycle fate, number of vascular strips, conjunctive tissue type, cambium presence, and xylem …

• Only naming 'tetrarch vs polyarch' and leaving out the equally important cambium/conjunctive-tissue difference, which is what actually explains why one root can thicken and the other cannot. …