A seed is a tiny package of everything a plant needs to start growing. It contains an embryonic (baby) plant and food reserves, all inside a protective seed coat.
When the seed reaches the right environmental conditions, it absorbs water and swells up. Then the radicle, or embryonic root, breaks through.
They are the reproductive organs of plants
Seeds are the reproductive organs of plants, especially the gymnosperms (like oaks and palms) and the angiosperms (like apples and squash). They are a key part of the plant body plan that enables them to spread into new locations. They contain a multicellular embryo and food reserves. Seeds also have an outer covering, which protects the embryo and keeps it in an arrested growth state until it is ready to germinate.
The reproductive structures of seed plants are characterized by a long ovary that supports a stigma and style. The ovary is an important distinction from other plants such as ferns, liverworts, and mosses, which do not have an ovum and propagate by asexual methods.
In seed plants, longitudinal polarity is established early in embryogenesis by PAT regulation and maintained by a directional flow of auxin. This results in a bipolar body plan that expands in two directions – shoots and roots. The seeds of most plant species have a built-in food supply, called endosperm, which provides nutrients to the embryo. Some seed plants do not have endosperm, and are referred to as exalbuminous.
They are a source of food
Seeds contain a wide variety of nutrients, including protein, which is essential for wound healing and tissue repair, muscle growth, and immune function. In addition, seeds provide a healthy source of fat and calories. It’s best to consume seeds in small quantities-one-eighth to one-quarter cup three or four times a week.
A seed’s hard coating protects an embryo that is the beginning of a new plant. It contains stored food, such as starch and sugar, that will help it grow after being dispersed in soil. Most seeds have tiny roots and stems, or cotyledons, that grow into leaves.
Many seeds are rich in fiber, which helps lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and Type-2 diabetes, and improve digestive health. They also offer protein, healthy fats and antioxidants. Incorporating seeds into your diet will increase your intake of important nutrients, and they can be easily added to soups, salads and breads. They are also a delicious snack.
They are used in plant breeding
Seeds are essential for plant breeding, the process of improving crop varieties to improve productivity and adaptability to climate extremes. While natural selection and humans have adapted plants for millennia, modern plant breeders are using science to accelerate the process. In addition to making crops more productive, they are also developing better foods and boosting resistance to pests and disease.
In the past, plant breeders tried to bring new desirable traits into crops by cross-pollinating different varieties. They then selected among the offspring to find a variety that had both the desired trait and an adequate level of performance. This process was time-consuming and labor-intensive.
The latest generation of plant breeders are relying on molecular genetics to speed up the process and make it more efficient. Cecilia’s research focuses on examining the genes that control ovule and seed development. By understanding these genes, she and her collaborators are able to examine the evolution of ovule and seed development.
They are a source of energy
Seeds contain all the nutrients necessary for a new plant to grow. They also provide valuable oils and a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. They are a vital part of the diets of many animals and are used in cooking around the world.
In gymnosperms (conifers and other evergreen plants) seeds are naked, but in angiosperms they are enclosed in fruit. In angiosperms, a seed is the embryo of a new plant that contains a zygote and endosperm, which is rich in stored food for the embryo. Seeds are a great source of energy and form the basis of our modern food supply.
Most seeds have a protective seed coat that is resistant to extreme heat, cold and freezing conditions. This protection is called physiological dormancy. Physiological dormancy is broken by soaking seeds in warm water or through a process known as moist chilling. During this process, seeds are subjected to a period of cooling and moist temperatures in order to break down oxaloacetate in the seed embryo, which is required for ATP production via Perl’s pathway.
