Seed germination

Parts of the Seed

The Structure of Seeds

Structure of a Seeds

shoot

roots

Structure of a Seeds

 The seed develops from the ovule and contains the embryo of the plant and food reserves for germination. Germination is the process of seed sprouting. The seed only germinates when it absorbs water.

Water is important for active metabolism.

When a seed germinates , numerous materials are made and others degraded. Hence water is an absolute requirement. Imbibition refers to the absorption of water by a dry seed. When a seed imbibes water, it swells to a size much larger than its dry size.

Germination & Early Growth in Flowering

Plants
Conditions necessary for seed germination

1. Water - taken up (imbibition) through the micropyle;

softens seed coat; cotyledons swell up & burst through seed coat;

enzymes are activated to break down starch to

simple sugars and proteins to amino acids; fats are converted into fatty acids & glycerol; these dissolve in water & are transported to the growing points of the embryo.

 Glucose, fatty acids & glycerol provide

respiratory substrates from energy for growth is released;

Glucose is also used in the formation of

cellulose cell walls; Amino acids are used to form new enzymes and structural proteins within new cells.

Seed germination requires a lot of energy. This energy is obtained by converting the food stored in the cotyledon and endosperm into ATP via aerobic respiration. Hence, oxygen is also required during germination.

Conditions For Germination

External Conditions required for germination are the presence of: (a) water (b) air

(c) suitable temperature (heat)

 2. Temperature warmer temperatures enable enzymes

to work
aerobically to supply energy for growth

3. Oxygen - enables seeds to respire

 Factors affecting the seed germination: External factor

1.Temperature Each species has its own optimal temperate at which the highest percentage of germination occurs. Most plants have an optimal germination temperature of between 25oC and 30oC. Some seeds like apples need to be exposed to low temperature before the seed germinates.

 Factors affecting the seed germination: external factor

1.Temperature These seeds have to be stratified that is kept at low temperatures for a period of time. The seed are exposed to the cold in winter and germinate in spring when the conditions for growth are suitable. This ensure the survival of the young plant as the tender seedlings are protected from harsh, cold conditions.

 Factors affecting the seed germination: eternal factor

2. Light

Some seeds like lettuce require light for germination. This is especially so for small seeds. This ensures that the seeds germinate only when they are at the soil surface.

 Factors affecting the seed germination: external factor

2. Light

The light intensity is higher at the surface than deeper in. If they germinate deep in the soil, they may not have enough food reserves to grow to the surface.
Hence these seeds remain dormant until the soil is disturbed and the seeds are brought to the surface. This gives them a better chance of survival.

Internal factors:

that prevent the seed from germinating. These internal factors are hereditary.
Internal factors that control germination are presence or absence of chemicals and the seed coat of the seed.

Internal factors:

Desert plant seeds have a high concentration of abscisic acids which inhibits germination in unfavourable conditions.
The plant seed only germinates when there is enough water to support plant growth. This occurs when rainfall washes away the abscisic acid.

 Some seeds have extremely hard and thick seed coats that prevent the entry of water and oxygen.
Hence the seed coat needs to be scratched or scarred or scarring the seed coat is known as scarification.

 Scarification is done physically with a knife or chemically with acid. In nature, scarification occurs when the seeds pass through the digestive tracts of animals or when the seed coat is partially digested by certain bacteria.

Mechanism of seed germination

begins when the seed absorbs water and this resumes the metabolism of the seed. In addition, abscisic acid which inhibits seed germination is washed away when the seed absorbs water.

The force caused by the absorption of water causes the seed coat to break.

Oxygen and energy are also required for seed germination to occur.

 During germination: the starch grains and proteins in the seed are utilized. In some types of seeds, fats and oils are also used. Gibberellic acid (GA) which is produced by the embryo signals the aleurone layer to produce -amylase.

 The aleurone layer is found just below the seed coat of cereal grains. This enzyme (-amylase) hydrolyses the starch storage into glucose.

which moves to the embryo to be utilised for the growth and development of the embryo.

Seed Germination

Dicot

Monocot

Figure 38.8

Seed coat

Epicotyl
Hypocotyl

Radicle Cotyledons (a) Common garden bean, a eudicot with thick cotyledons Seed coat Endosperm Cotyledons Epicotyl Hypocotyl Radicle (b) Castor bean, a eudicot with thin cotyledons Scutellum (cotyledon) Coleoptile Coleorhiza (c) Maize, a monocot Pericarp fused with seed coat Endosperm Epicotyl Hypocotyl Radicle