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what is a seed and its function

by Prof. Colton Ritchie Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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The seed in a plant is the part that develops from the ovules after fertilization. They are enclosed in the fruit which develops from the fertilized ovary. The seeds are formed as a result of sexual reproduction and contain the young embryo which can develop into a new plant.

Full Answer

What is the main purpose of a seed?

The most basic function of a seed is to keep a species in existence. All the different functionality mechanisms work together to keep the plant embryo inside the seed alive until conditions are correct for the seed to germinate with some chance of the seedling’s survival.

What are the four parts of a seed?

Parts of Seeds (Source: Shutterstock) A seed has the following parts: Seed coat: It is the outer covering the of seed. It protects the internal parts. Seed leaves or cotyledons: Cotyledons are present inside the seed. Cotyledons absorb the food from the parent plant and store it for the embryo.

What does function do Seeds serve in plants?

The seeds perform the following functions: They help in germination of the new plant. The seeds contain food reservoirs in the form of cotyledons and endosperm. The seed coat is protective in nature which protects the embryo inside. Click to see full answer. Likewise, what is the function of the seed? Functions.

What are the benefits of seeds?

Top Health Benefits of Sunflower Seeds

  1. Abundant in Healthy Fats. They are a main source of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, two fats that are excellent for overall health.
  2. Encourages Cardiovascular Health. Two nutrients that improve cardiovascular health are vitamin E and folate, both of which are found in sunflower seeds.
  3. High in Phytosterols. ...
  4. Lowers High Blood Pressure. ...

More items...

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What is seed Short answer?

Seed refers to the fertilized, matured ovule that contains an embryonic plant, stored material and a protective coat or coats. A seed is a mature ovule that comprises an embryo or a miniature undeveloped plant and food reserves, all enclosed within a protective seed coat.

What are the functions of the following in a seed?

(a) Seed coat – The seed coat renders protection from attack of fungi, insects, bacteria and injury to the delicate inner parts of the seed. (b) Micropyle – It allows entrance of water into the seed through the pore during germination. (c) Cotyledons – They store the food required for the embryo.

What are the 3 parts of a seed and their functions?

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.

What is seed and types?

A Seed is primarily of two types. The two types are: Monocotyledonous Seed. Dicotyledonous Seed.

What are the functions of the following in a seed Plumule?

(e) Plumule: It forms the future shoot.

What are the functions of the following in a seed cotyledons?

cotyledon, seed leaf within the embryo of a seed. Cotyledons help supply the nutrition a plant embryo needs to germinate and become established as a photosynthetic organism and may themselves be a source of nutritional reserves or may aid the embryo in metabolizing nutrition stored elsewhere in the seed.

What are the functions of the following in a seed radicle?

(a) Radicle: The radicle is the embryonic root of the plant,and grows downward in the soil. It is the first thing to emerge from a seed and down into the ground to allow the seed to suck up water and send out its leaves so that it starts photosynthesizing.

What are the functions of the following in a seed micropyle?

The micropyle is a small opening that is found in the ovule, just close to the hilum and is retained in the seed after fertilisation. When soaked, seeds absorb water mainly through the micropyle. Micropyle also helps in respiration and in the exchange of gases.

Which part of the seed is used to protect the seed?

There are three parts of a plant seed, namely seed coat, endosperm and embryo. Seed coat protects the seed from physical, mechanical, temperature-r...

Which microorganism destroys the seed?

The most common microorganism that destroys the seed is fungi. If the moisture content of the seed is higher, it results in growth of fungus in see...

Which plant leaves are used to protect the seed from the insects?

Neem plant leaves are used to defense seeds against insects. It contains various compounds which act as insecticides. For example, one of the neem...

The seed contains the future plant or embryo which develops into seedling under appropriate conditio...

Seeds contains embryo which develops into a seedling when grown under optimum conditions. The endosperm inside the seeds helps in the growth and de...

What is the seed in a plant?

The seed in a plant is the part that develops from the ovules after fertilization. They are enclosed in the fruit which develops from the fertilized ovary. The seeds are formed as a result of sexual reproduction and contain the young embryo which can develop into a new plant. Let’s learn more.

What is the purpose of seed coats?

The seeds contain food reservoirs in the form of cotyledons and endosperm. The seed coat is protective in nature which protects the embryo inside.

What is the first part of the embryo to push its way out of the seed during germination?

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.

What happens to the ovaries after fertilization?

Once fertilization occurs, the ovary starts maturing and eventually develops into the fruit and the ovules contained in them become the seeds.

What is the scar left by the stalk attached to the ovary wall before it became a seed?

Hilum: Is a scar left by the stalk which attached the ovule to the ovary wall before it became a seed. 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.

What is the term for the scattering or transport of seeds from one place to another?

Dispersion is defined as the scattering or transport of seeds from one place to another by means of a dispersing agent. It can occur by four modes:

Why do seeds explode?

Some plants fling or throw their seeds out once the fruit has ripened. This explosion occurs as a result of evaporation of water from the pods. Once the pods dry out, they expel the seeds which are then carried by wind or gravity to other places where they germinate.

What are the parts of a monocot seed?

There are three main parts we can see in a monocot seed: embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. With monocot seeds, the embryo develops into a full-grown plant, and the endosperm is there to act as a source of food. The coat around the seed is very important, as it protects the seed from various pathogens and insects.

What is the part of the seed from which the new plant will begin to grow?

Em bryo, Endosperm And Protective Coat. The embryo is the part of the seed from which the new plant will begin to grow. Embryos are developed from a zygote (which is a fertilized egg). From the embryo, the plants usually grow up, at least their shoots and branches, and they grow down into the ground, creating roots that will ensure their stability ...

How are seeds structured?

How the seed is structured depends on what kind of plant will grow out of it, so we can differentiate two different types: seeds from a monocot, and seeds from a dicot plant. Monocot plants have a single seed leaf, while dicot have the so-called cotyledons, or two-seed leaves.

Why is the coat around the seed important?

The coat around the seed is very important, as it protects the seed from various pathogens and insects. Dicot seeds have the same parts, but the difference is that there are two seed leaves inside, instead of just one.

What is the difference between angiosperm and gymnosperm?

The distinction between angiosperm and gymnosperm type of plants is visible in the way they protect their seed. Angiosper ms are plants that can create both flowers and fruits during their development. Once e.g. an apple tree develops a fruit, it encapsulates the seed and provides the seed with both protection and the resource ...

What are seeds made of?

But, in essence, that is what seeds are - encapsulated embryos of a plant that are protected with hard outer cover.

Why is it important to protect seeds from germination?

One very important role of a seed's protective coat is that they prevent germination when it is not suitable, which means that they put the seed in a dormant state.

How do seeds form?

Courtesy of Creative Commons. Seeds form from a fertilized ovule after pollination. Despite the importance of seeds in the life cycle of plants—not to mention as food for humans and other animals—we know relatively little about the genetic control of the growth and development of seeds.

What is the model species of Arabidopsis?

To date, most studies have been carried out on a single “model” species, Arabidopsis thaliana, which is an angiosperm in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). Studies of Arabidopsis have helped to identify the genes that are involved in the development of its ovule and seed, but the lack of broad studies across a diversity of plant groups makes it impossible to understand how plants have come to have such a wild array of seed types.

What are seeds dispersed in?

These seeds are dispersed in the air like minute dust particles. They lack endosperm and have tiny, underdeveloped embryos. Some seeds have fleshy appendages that entice animal dispersers to eat them; some have hooks, barbs, or sticky hairs that attach to fur or feathers; and some have wings for wind dispersal.

What are the parts of a plant's seed?

The seed is the embryonic stage of the plant life cycle. Most seeds consist of three parts: embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. The embryo is a tiny plant that has a root, a stem, and one or more leaves. The endosperm is the nutritive tissue of the seed, often a combination of starch, oil, and protein. The seed coat is a protective covering that can ...

How many species of seeds are there?

Seed plants appear in the fossil record around 300 million years ago, and they are now the most abundant and diverse plant group on earth, with nearly 400,000 species. Seeds come in a great variety of shapes and sizes, and a lot of the variation relates to dispersal mechanisms.

What is the seed of Virola?

The seed of Virola, a relative of nutmeg, is covered by a red fleshy layer. Seeds are an important feature of the spermatophytes, or seed plants, which are subdivided into gymnosperms, or “naked-seeded” plants such as conifers and cycads, and angiosperms, flowering plants with seeds enclosed in ovaries.

Where do orchid seeds float?

This seed floats, allowing it to disperse between islands in the Seychelles archipelago in the Indian Ocean. Some of the smallest seeds are those of epiphytic orchids, which are only 1/300th of an inch (85 micrometers) long—smaller than can be seen by the unaided eye.

What is the Seed?

A seed is a basic part of any plant. The ovules after fertilization, develop into seeds. A seed is made up of a seed coat and an embryo. The embryo is made up of a radicle, an embryonal axis and one (wheat, maize) or two cotyledons (gram and pea). A seed is found inside a fruit which converts into a new plant when we plant it. Hence, the seed is the most important part.

What are the parts of a dicotyledon?

Unlike monocotyledonous seed, a dicotyledonous seed, as the name suggests, has two cotyledons. It has the following parts: 1 Seed coat: This is the outermost covering of a seed. The seed coat has two layers, the outer testa and the inner tegmen. 2 Hilum: The hilum is a scar on the seed coat through which the developing seed was attached to the fruit. 3 Micropyle: It is a small pore present above the hilum. 4 Embryo: It consists of an embryonal axis and two cotyledons. 5 Cotyledons: These are often fleshy and full of reserve food materials. 6 Radicle and plumule: They are present at the two ends of the embryonal axis. 7 Endosperm: In some seeds such as castor, the endosperm formed as a result of double fertilisation, is a food storing tissue. In plants such as bean, gram and pea, the endosperm is not present in the matured seed. They are known as non-endospermous.

What are the parts of a plant?

Answer: There are three parts of a plant seed, namely seed coat, endosperm and embryo. Seed coat protects the seed from physical, mechanical, temperature-related and water damage. Cotyledon is an embryonic leaf present within the seed of a plant. Embryo consists of precursor tissues for different parts of plants.

Which layer of the endosperm separates the embryo?

Aleuron layer: The outer covering of endosperm separates the embryo by a proteinous layer called aleurone layer. Embryo: The embryo is small and situated in a groove at one end of the endosperm. Scutellum: This is one large and shield-shaped cotyledon. Embryonal axis: Plumule and radicle are the two ends.

What is the purpose of salannin in Neem?

Another neem component, salannin, acts as insect repellent. Q.4 The seed contains the future plant or embryo which develops into seedling under appropriate conditions. Answer: Seeds contains embryo which develops into a seedling when grown under optimum conditions.

What are some examples of mature seeds?

Solution: We know two types of mature seeds. These are: Non-albuminous – These seeds do not contain any residual endosperm to store the food. Example: pea, groundnut. Albuminous – These seeds consist of an endosperm to function as a storage for the food. Example: wheat, maize.

What is the structure of a monocotyledonous seed?

Structure of a Monocotyledonous Seed. A Monocotyledonous seed, as the name suggests, has only one cotyledon. There is only one outer layering of the seed coat. A seed has the following parts: Seed Coat: In the seed of cereals such as maize, the seed coat is membranous and generally fused with the fruit wall, called Hull.

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1.Seeds: Definition, Classification, Functions, and More

Url:https://www.embibe.com/exams/seeds/

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Url:https://www.worldatlas.com/what-are-the-parts-of-a-seed-and-their-functions.html

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Url:https://www.nybg.org/planttalk/what-is-a-seed/

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Url:https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/morphology-of-flowering-plants/the-seed/

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