Which part of the seed gives rise to a new plant and how does it derive nutrition?
Answers
Theory
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed inside a seed coat. It is the ripened and fertilised ovule of gymnospermic and angiospermic plants. A seed has a three parts:
An embryo
A supply of nutrients for the embryo
A seed coat
The embryo is an undeveloped plant inside a seed from which a new plant develops. All seeds do not have the same size, shape and colour. We will be looking at the embryo of a pea, gram and bean seed to identify their different parts.
Plant Embryo
Plant embryos in seeds have structures called cotyledons. A cotyledon is the central portion of a seed embryo to which the epicotyls- the immature shoot, and the radicle- the immature roots, are attached.
Plants are classified according to the number of cotyledons present in the embryo. If the embryo has one cotyledon (monocotyledon) it is a monocot plant, and if there are two cotyledons (dicotyledon), it is a dicot plant.
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed inside a seed coat. It is the ripened and fertilised ovule of gymnospermic and angiospermic plants. A seed has a three parts:
An embryo
A supply of nutrients for the embryo
A seed coat
The embryo is an undeveloped plant inside a seed from which a new plant develops. All seeds do not have the same size, shape and colour. We will be looking at the embryo of a pea, gram and bean seed to identify their different parts.
Plant Embryo
Plant embryos in seeds have structures called cotyledons. A cotyledon is the central portion of a seed embryo to which the epicotyls- the immature shoot, and the radicle- the immature roots, are attached.
Plants are classified according to the number of cotyledons present in the embryo. If the embryo has one cotyledon (monocotyledon) it is a monocot plant, and if there are two cotyledons (dicotyledon), it is a dicot plant.
Seed Subdivision
Based on the type and location of storage materials, seeds can be subdivided into endosperms and non endosperms.
Endospermic Seeds
Endospermic seeds are those that have an endosperm in the mature seed. It is fleshy, oily, surrounds the embryo, and functions as the sole food storage organ. Inside the seed coat, a thin and papery cotyledon is present. Monocot plants have endospermic seeds.
Non-endospermic Seeds
Non-endospermic seeds do not have an endosperm in the mature seed. The cotyledons are thick and fleshy, and function as the sole food storage organs. Dicot plants have non-endospermic seeds.