Carpel and pistil are the reproductive part of a flower in a plantand they have a very slight difference between them. As the carpel is composed of the stigma, style and the ovarywhile the pistil is the union of the carpels or it can be the single carpel, so we can say that the pistil is the fusion of the carpels.
One can easily distinguish the number of carpels by checking the number of styles. On the other hand, the number of pistils can be identified by the presence of the number of ovaries in flower.
The flower represents the family of angiosperms of a plant, and are the reproductive structure. A complete flower has distinctive reproductive structures and in specific colour and structure. So, a flower has four whorls, the lower whorls and the upper whorls.
The two upper whorls are known as reproductive whorls as they are involved in reproduction. Furthermore, these whorls are composed of microsporophylls and megasporophylls, where microsporophylls are called stamens and megasporophylls are called carpels (angiosperms).
The two lower whorls are known as the accessory whorls as they are not directly involved in the reproduction of the flower. The third whorl is the male whorl and is called the androceo, while the fourth whorl is the female part and is known as the gynoecium. The role of the accessory pistil is to protect the essential organs and mainly attracts pollinating insects.
The anthology is the branch of science that deals with the study of flowering plants and flowers and other properties of angiosperms. With this, we will be studying the critical differences between the two main parts of the flower, which are the carpel and the pistil, with a brief description of them.
Comparative graph between carpel and pistil
| BASIS FOR COMPARISON | CARPELO | PISTILO |
|---|---|---|
| Sense | Carpels are the female reproductive part of a flower which may be present singly or in several. | Pistils are the female part of a flowering seed or ovule. |
| Made from | Stigma, ovary and style. | One or numerous carpels. |
| Paper | To produce eggs. | No egg production. |
| Seed Production | Support seed production and seed dispersal. | It does not produce seed, and although it functions as a female part of the flower. |
| Fertilisation | The carpels undergo the process of fertilisation. | The pistil does not undergo fertilisation. |
Definition of carpel
The carpel is the innermost whorl present in the flower, and it is the megasporophyll and the structure resembling a leaf modified seed-bearing ovule-bearing ovule-bearing seed. The carpel consists of the ovary, style and stigma. It is the reproductive part of a flower.
Seed development within the carpel occurs when the grains of pollen from another flower enter and fertilise the ovule inside the carpel.
Definition of pistil
The fusion or union of one or more carpels forms the pistil. It is the female part of the flower, which is located in the centre and has a swollen base, the ovary which has ovules or potential seeds, it also has a style or stalk, emerging from the ovary, the stigma (the tip for receiving pollens) which can have various shapes and is quite sticky.
At the time of pollination, the appropriate pollen grains fall or adhere to the stigma, which germinate forming a pollen tube. Growing downwards through the style, the pollen tubes transfer sperm for fertilisation to the ovules in the ovary.
The pistil consists of numerous leaf structures inscribed within each other or the carpels, which have one or more enclosed ovules. The carpel is the modified seed-bearing leaf, and there may be one carpel, two or more carpels (compound pistil) if the carpel is two or more in number in a pistil and is united and is known as syncarpous, while if the carpels are separated in flower they are called apocarpous.
Key differences between carpel and pistil
The following are the essential points that highlight the differences between carpel and pistil:
- The carpels are the female reproductive part of a flower, which may be present singly or in several, on the other hand the pistils are also the reproductive part of a seed or ovule borne by a flower.
- The carpels are composed of stigma, ovary and style, and the pistils are the union of one or more carpels.
- The carpels produce ovules, while in the pistil there is no production of ovules.
- The carpels assist in seed production and seed dispersal, although the pistil does not produce seeds and functions as a female part of the flower.
- The carpels undergo the process of fertilisation, while the pistil does not.
Similarities
- Both carpel and pistils are the female part of a flower.
- Sometimes both are composed of style, stigma and ovary.
- Their function is to produce seeds, undergo fertilisation, assist in seed dispersal and produce eggs.
Conclusion
Flowers are the most essential and characteristic feature present in angiosperms. The flowers also have several other parts, which make it complete, and these are the peduncle, the receptacle, the sepalthe petal, the yarnthe anther, the pistil, the stigma and the ovary.
Carpel and pistil are the interchangeable words when there is only one carpel and one pistil in flower. As both are part of the female reproductive system. Even these have some common parts that play a fundamental role in the fertilisation of a flower.
Also discover the differences between xylem y phloem.