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Flowering plants grow from seeds. Seeds contain a tiny embryo plant, together with stored
food reserves. The seed is surrounded by a tough coat which protects it. |
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2. Different
kinds of plants produce different kinds of seeds. The seeds are often carried to new
places away from the parent plant. Some may be blown by the wind, others may be carried by
water and others by birds or other animals. |
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3.
When a seed arrives in a suitable habitat, it may immediately start to grow (germinate).
Some seeds however, need to remain dormant for a time before they will germinate. |
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| In order for a seed
to germinate, the temperature must be right and there must be water to soak the seed. Some
seeds also need light. If all the seed's needs are present, it will start to grow. The
food reserves are turned into a form the plant embryo can use for energy to grow. First,
the root (radicle) emerges from the seed coat, followed by the shoot (plumule). The root
always grows downwards into the soil, while the shoot always grows upwards towards the
light. NEXT |
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