Difference Between Endosperm and Perisperm

The key difference between endosperm and perisperm is that endosperm is a nutritive tissue of the seed that is triploid in nature, while perisperm is another nutritive tissue of the seed that is diploid in nature.

Seed plants have two major categories as angiosperms and gymnosperms. Angiosperms bear closed seeds while gymnosperms bear naked seeds. The seed is the fertilized ovule of seed plants which germinates and develops into a new plant. Thus, it contains the developing embryo. There are two nutritive tissues inside the seed of higher plants. They are endosperm and perisperm. Endosperm develops as a result of double fertilization in flowering plants due to an event called triple fusion. It contains triploid cells. On the other hand, perisperm originates from the nucellus, and it contains diploid cells.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Endosperm
3. What is Perisperm
4. Similarities Between Endosperm and Perisperm
5. Side by Side Comparison – Endosperm vs Perisperm in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Endosperm?

The endosperm is the main nutritional tissue of the seeds of flowering plants. It surrounds the developing embryo and nourishes it with food, mainly in the form of starch. Apart from starch, endosperm also contains fat and proteins. Besides, the endosperm develops as a result of triple fusion in which a sperm nucleus fuses with a binucleate central cell of the embryo sac. Hence, it is triploid in nature. The endosperm is mainly short-lived in many plants since it is consumed by the developing embryo. However, in endospermic seeds, endosperm remains for a long time.

Difference Between Endosperm and Perisperm

Figure 01: Endosperm

Nevertheless, some plant seeds do not contain endosperms. In those plants, the perisperm works as the nutritional tissue. In cereals, the most nutritive part is the seed containing the endosperm. Hence, cereals are a good food source for humans and animals. Coconut has a liquid endosperm containing growth substances.

What is Perisperm?

Perisperm is another form of nutritive tissue present in seeds of several plant families. It develops from the nucellus. Hence, it is purely of maternal origin and is diploid in nature. Perisperm surrounds the endosperm of the seeds. Thus, endosperm absorbs nutrients from the perisperm.

Figure 02: Perisperm

Perisperm is dry, unlike endosperm. It predominantly contains starch. But, it does not contain proteins, unlike endosperm.

What are the Similarities Between Endosperm and Perisperm?

Both endosperm and perisperm are nutritional tissues found inside the seeds.
They are present in angiosperms.
Also, both contain starch mainly.
They develop parallelly.
Moreover, both contain maternal parts.
Furthermore, they provide nutrition for the developing embryo.

What is the Difference Between Endosperm and Perisperm?

The endosperm is a food reserve in seeds that is triploid in nature. On the other hand, perisperm is another form of nutritive tissue in seeds of certain plant families. It is derived from the nucellus and is diploid in nature. So, this is the key difference between endosperm and perisperm. Furthermore, the endosperm surrounds the embryo while perisperm surrounds the endosperm. Therefore, we can consider this also as a difference between endosperm and perisperm.

Moreover, the endosperm is soft, usually, while the perisperm is dry. So, this is also a difference between endosperm and perisperm.

The below infographic provides more information on the difference between endosperm and perisperm.

Summary – Endosperm vs Perisperm

Endosperm and perisperm are two nutritive tissues inside the seeds. But, the endosperm is triploid in nature while perisperm is diploid in nature. So, this is the key difference between endosperm and perisperm. Both endosperm and perisperm contain starch. But, endosperm contains proteins as well. However, perisperm does not contain proteins. Furthermore, endosperm develops as a result of triple fusion while perisperm develops from the nucellus. Besides, endosperm consists of both maternal and paternal parts, while perisperm is purely maternal. Thus, this summarizes the difference between endosperm and perisperm.

Reference:

1. “Endosperm.” Endosperm – an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, Available here.
2. “Seed.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 June 2019, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Wheat-kernel nutrition” By Wheat-kernel_nutrition.svg: Jkwchuiderivative work: Jon C (talk) – Wheat-kernel_nutrition.svg (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Image from page 265 of “Elementary botany” (1898) By Internet Archive Book Images (No known copyright restrictions) via Flickr