Seeds and Germination
by Jewel Reuter, LA Virtual School

A seed is an embryo of a plant that is encased in protective covering surrounded by a food supply.  The embryo is the early developmental stage of the plant.  The seed's food supply provides nutrients to the embryo as it grows.  The see coat protects the embryo.  The embryo often stops growing and become dormant while it is contained in the seed until the conditions are just right.  The embryo can remain dormant for long periods of time. When conditions become right, it begins to grow it uses the nutrients in the seed.

Environmental conditions such as temperature and moisture can cause the see to end dormancy and to germinate, to sprout.  Seed germination is the early stage of growth for the embryo.   

There are monocot (has one seed leaf seeds) and dicot (has two seed leaf seeds) plants.  Another name for seed leaf is cotyledon. An example of a monocot plant is corn and a dicot is beans.  The leaves on the shoot of the monocot are narrow and the leaves o the shoots of the dicot are broad and they have an embryonic root called a radical.  In many moncots the cotyledon remains in the seed and the growing shoot emerges.  In many dicots the cotyledons grow up above the ground and protect the emerging foliage, but some remain under the ground.

Changes in the environment can influence the rate of germination and the growth of the plant.  Various pollutions have caused problems with seed germination.

Images of Seeds As They Germinate

Corn (a monocot)

Black Eye Pea (a dicot)

Mustard (a dicot)

Attachment # 2

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