Seeds are an important source of food for humans and animals. They are also used to propagate many crop plants, such as cereals and legumes. Seeds may be dormant due to a hard or thick seed coat, cold or damp stratification, or internal chemical conditions.
They are the characteristic reproductive organ of both angiosperms and gymnosperms. They contain a miniature undeveloped plant embryo surrounded by stored food and protected by a seed coat.
They are the reproductive organs of plants
Seeds come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all alike in three ways: They contain an embryo, or baby plant; they have a built-in food supply, or endosperm; and they are protected by a seed coat. The seed coat may be smooth, wrinkled, or fuzzy, and it can be yellow, brown, red, green, or combinations of colors. Its hilum is a scar that marks the place where it once attached to its parent plant.
The emergence of seeds as an evolutionary innovation likely required complicated interactions and the integration of pre-existing components. A key component was the retention of a megasporangium, or sporophytic tissue, that differentiated at the tip of a telome. The remaining structures that emerged from the telome formed the seed-related structures known as integuments, or a seed coat. These structures were then encapsulated by other surrounding structures, called cotyledons. They distinguish seed plants from non-seed plants, such as ferns and liverworts.
They are an important source of food
Seeds are an important source of food for many species of plants. They are the main source of wheat, rice, corn, legumes and other staple foods. Seeds also provide most cooking oils and many spices. They are also a primary source of protein in grains and legumes.
Seeds vary in size, shape and color and are often sculpted into pleasing forms. Some have delicate, curving shapes and surface reliefs that are beautiful to the eye. Others are truncated or sculptured into rough and irregular forms.
Whether you’re looking for a plant-based protein option, need to meet your daily fiber goal, or are trying to reduce your cholesterol level, seeds are an excellent choice. They contain a variety of nutrients, including essential amino acids, healthy fats, dietary fiber and minerals. They are also a great option for people with allergies or sensitivities to nuts. Seeds may also be a good option for those following the Paleo or low-FODMAP diets.
They are a source of genetic information
Seeds contain genetic information and can be a useful source of crop varieties. The ability to retain genetic diversity in seeds allows plants to adapt to different environmental conditions and develop new varieties. This can be especially important for agriculture, where plant breeders want to preserve and make available the most valuable genes for future use. This process is known as “growing true to type.”
Seed banking emerged in the mid-20th century as a strategy for preserving the world’s crop genetic diversity against the global uptake of high-yielding Green Revolution varieties. Plant breeders and scientists advocated the preservation of seed from old landraces by storing it in cold storage. This would allow them to access the germplasm without having to continually cultivate it in situ.
But what exactly is a seed? How did it emerge as a key evolutionary innovation? The answer is complex, requiring a new approach to investigating plant life. The current evidence suggests that the emergence of the seed program required multiple gene-and-environment interactions, including a stress-responsive LEC1-like gene in pteridophytes and other pre-existing components.
They are a source of entertainment
Seeds is a dramatic and nimble improvement upon 2011’s more languid Nine Types of Light, with its restless aggression bubbling to the surface in pleading questions like “Could you?” and subtle drones in the midst of the fuzzy “Lazerray.” It’s a more fully integrated expression of that anxious energy, as well.
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights) ran an Ask Me Anything on Reddit as a way to promote his new album, Seeds. This content seeding approach not only gained Miranda new engagement, but it also helped him build credibility as an entertainer.
