Submitted by: Momina Tayyab

Roll No: 1925105031

Semester: 6th BS-3(Regular)

Session: 2019-2023

Subject: Plant Anatomy

Submitted To: Dr. Sobiya Ilyas

Topic: Anatomy of the seed

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 CONTENTS

SR. TITLE Page No.

1 Introduction 03
2 Parts of the seed 03-04
3 The nature of seeds 04-07
 Angiosperm seeds.
 Anatomy of Dicotyledonous seed
 Anatomy of the Monocotyledonous seed.
 Gymnosperm seeds.
4 References. 09

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 ANATOMY OF THE SEED
Introduction:
Seed is the characteristic reproductive body of both angiosperms (flowering plants)
and gymnosperms. Essentially, a seed consists of a miniature undeveloped plant (the embryo),
which, alone or in the company of stored food for its early development after germination, is
surrounded by a protective coat (the testa). In favorable conditions the seed can grow and
become a fully independent plant, bearing flowers and seeds during its life cycle. In the embryo
of the seed are all the potentialities of development and growth to a mature plant resembling
other members of its species in almost every detail of leaf shape, cell distribution and flower
color and structure.
PARTS OF THE SEED:
The three primary parts of a seed are the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. The embryo is the
young multicellular organism before it emerges from the seed. The endosperm is a source of
stored food, consisting primarily of starches. The seed coat consists of one or more protective
layers that encase the seed. The embryo is the young multicellular organism before it emerges
from the seed. The endosperm is a source of stored food, consisting primarily of starches. The
seed coat consists of one or more protective layers that encase the seed.
Seeds of different plants may vary in many ways, but the basic anatomy remains the same. A typical
seed consists of the following parts:

Testa:
A tough, hard, outer coat, the testa protects the seed from fungi, bacteria and insects. It has to be split
open by the radicle before germination can proceed.
Hilum:
The hilum is a scar left by the stalk which attached the ovule to the ovary wall.
Micropyle:

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It is a tiny pore in the testa that lies on the opposite of the tip of the radicle. It permits water to
enter the embryo before active germination.
Cotyledon:
In some plants, this contains high quantities of starch and will provide a source of food for the
developing embryo prior to germination, in other plants this role is performed by an endosperm.
In monocotyledons, there is just one cotyledon whereas in dicotyledons there are two. Depending
on the type of germination (epigeous or hypogeous) the cotyledons may remain below ground or
be pulled above ground.
Radicle:
This is the embryonic root which will develop into the primary root of the plant. It is usually the
first part of the embryo to push its way out of the seed during germination.
Plumule:
This is the embryonic shoot. It appears as a bud which will give rise to the shoot and the
remaining structures in the plant.
Endosperm:
In many plants, a separate part for storage of starch develops and this is called the endosperm. It is
seen in maize and wheat.
The nature of seeds:
 Angiosperm seeds:
In the typical flowering plant, or angiosperm, seeds are formed from bodies
called ovules contained in the ovary, or basal part of the female plant structure, the pistil.
The mature ovule contains in its central part a region called the nucellus that in turn
contains an embryo sac with eight nuclei, each with one set of chromosomes. The two
nuclei near the Centre are referred to as polar nuclei; the egg cell, or oosphere, is situated
near the micropylar (“open”) end of the ovule.

Angiosperm seed structure

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ANATOMY OF THE ANGIOSPERM SEED:
In angiosperms, fruits enclose seeds. Seeds consist of a seed coat, embryo, and endosperm food
supply.
Embryo:
The embryo is an immature plant that develops from the zygote, itself a product
of fertilization of an egg cell by a sperm nucleus. Within the ovule, the zygote divides
by mitosis to form “seed leaves” or cotyledons, a primordial root, the radicle, and an embryonic
stem divided into two parts – the epicotyl above the point of seed leaf attachment, and
the hypocotyl below.
 Cotyledons serve as the first leaves of most new plants, or seedlings, immediately after
germination.
 The radicle is the first part of the embryo to emerge from the seed during germination.
Growing out of the seed through the micropyle and downward into the soil, the radicle
forms the primary root of the new plant.
 After the radicle emerges, the hypocotyl lifts the growing shoot, often with the seed coat,
upward. Above the seed leaves, the epicotyl grows the shoots and first true leaves of the
young plant.
Endosperm:
Endosperm serves as a food supply for the embryo and seedling; depending on the species, it
may be rich in oils, starch, and/or protein. In some species, the majority of the endosperm is
absorbed by the developing embryo and stored in the cotyledons.
Seed coat:
The seed coat develops from maternal tissue (usually two layers of integuments) surrounding the
ovule. In some species, the seed coat is quite thin (as the papery skin surrounding a peanut). In
other species, the seed coat is hard and thick; when fused to a hard endocarp (as in peaches and
coconuts), it forms a highly resistant stone which is part fruit, part seed.

Depending on the number of cotyledons, the seeds in angiosperms have been classified into two
categories –
 Monocotyledonous seeds.
 Dicotyledonous seeds.
Anatomy of the Dicotyledonous seed:
Dicotyledons are also known as dicots. They are the groups into which all the flowering plants or
angiosperms were formerly divided.
 In a dicotyledonous seed, the embryo consists of an embryo axis and two cotyledons.
 Cotyledons generally have a swollen appearance as it acts as a food reserve for the
developing seedling.

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  The embryo axis has two ends. The one which forms the shoot tip is called plumule and
the portion at the lower end which forms the root tip is called the radicle.
 The whole content is enclosed within a protective cover called the seed coat.
 The seed coat is made up of an outer layer called testa and an inner layer called tegmen.
Moreover, the seed is attached to the fruit through a structure called hilum

Anatomy of the dicot seed

Anatomy of the Monocotyledonous seed:

 Embryos of a monocotyledonous seed possess only one large cotyledon called scutellum.
 The scutellum is generally shield-shaped and is located laterally towards a side of the
embryo axis.
 As in dicotyledons, the embryo axis of monocotyledons possesses a shoot tip, plumule
enclosed in a sheath called coleoptile and a root tip, radicle, enclosed in coleorhiza.
 In a monocotyledonous seed, the endosperm is covered by a proteinous layer called the
aleurone layer.
 The majority of the monocotyledonous seeds are albuminous seeds, i.e., they have thick,
swollen endosperms for nourishment. The endosperm is not completely consumed
during embryo development, and it is the nourishing tissues in seeds. However, some
monocotyledons like orchids show exceptions.

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 Anatomy of the Monocot seed

 Gymnosperm seeds:
In gymnosperms the ovules are not enclosed in an ovary but lie exposed on leaf like structures,
the megasporophylls. A long time span usually separates pollination and fertilization, and the
ovules begin to develop into seeds long before fertilization has been accomplished; in some
cases, in fact, fertilization does not occur until the ovules (“seeds”) have been shed from the tree.
ANATOMY OF THE GYMNOSPERM SEED:
Their basic components are essentially identical to the seeds of angiosperms.
 The seed coat is also referred to as an integument. It was once the outer covering of the
ovule and has developed into the seed covering.
 A micropyle is sometimes visible on the seed and is the location where the pollen
cells entered the ovule.
 The storage tissue is composed of female haploid cells that matured into storage tissue in
the ovule.
 Like angiosperms, the embryo is composed of the radicle (embryonic root), the
hypocotyl (embryonic shoot), and cotyledons (embryonic leaves).

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Gymnosperm seed structure

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References:
http://www.biology-resources.com/plants-seeds-01.html
https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/anatomy-of-flowering-plants/the-seed/
https://www.britannica.com/science/seed-plant-reproductive-part
https://byjus.com/biology/dicotyledonous-monocotyledonous-seed/