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Plant Science

Plant Growth & Development:
Seed Germination

Instructional Materials Service
Texas A&M University

- 8385 -
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Plant Growth & Development:
Seed Germination
Seeds
Seed Classification
Seed Germination
Seed Dormancy
The Germination Process
Leaf Formation
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Seeds
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Seeds
The life cycle of many plants begins with a
seed. Seeds are essential for the survival
and continued existence of many plant
species.

Seeds contain the genetic material to
produce another plant with identical, similar,
or unlike characteristics of the parent plant.



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Seeds
All seeds contain an embryo and have their
own food supply.

The embryo consists of a plumule,
epicotyl, cotyledons, hypocotyl, and a
radicle.



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Seeds
The plumule includes the young primordial
leaves and growing point of the stem.
Plumule
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The epicotyl is the portion of the stem above
the cotyledon.


Epicotyl
Epicotyl
Seeds
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Seeds
The cotyledons are the seed leaves used for
food storage.

Cotyledons
Cotyledon
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Seeds
The hypocotyl is the portion of the stem
below the cotyledons.


Hypocotyl
Hypocotyl
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The radicle is the young embryonic root
and root tip.

Seeds
Radicle
Radicle
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Seed Classification
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Seed Classification
Flowering plants are classified as
monocotyledons (monocots) or
dicotyledons (dicots) depending on
how many cotyledons they possess,
one or two.

A cotyledon is a part of a plant that
either stores food or grows to become
the first leaves to undergo
photosynthesis.
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Seed Classification
Seeds of dicot plants have two cotyledons.
Seeds of monocot plants have one cotyledon.
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Dicot
Epicotyl
Radicle
Hypocotyl
Seed Coat
Cotyledons
Plumule
Hilum
Micropyle
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Monocot
Radicle
Hypocotyl
Axis of Embryo
Cotyledon
Coleorhiza
Coleoptile
Pedicel
Endosperm
Epicotyl
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Dicots
Dicots include: Garden beans, legumes,
alfalfa, soybeans, and cowpeas.

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Monocots
Corn, wheat, rice, and oats are typical
monocots.


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Seed Germination
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Seed Germination
Factors affecting seed germination:

Moisture
Temperature
Oxygen
Light


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Moisture
A seed must have an ample supply of
moisture for germination to occur.

Moisture content needed for germination
to occur ranges from 25% to 75%.

Once the germination process begins, a
dry period or lack of water will cause the
death of the developing embryo.
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Temperature
Temperature affects both the germination
percentage and the germination rate.

Germination rate is lower at low
temperatures.

Most plant seeds germinate at an optimum
temperature range of 68F to 120F.
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Oxygen
Oxygen is necessary for respiration to occur
within a seed. Respiration converts the stored
food in the seed into energy for germination.

Some seeds require less oxygen than others.

Oxygen deficiency occurs if seeds are planted
in flooded or compacted soil.
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Light
The presence or absence of light may or
may not have an effect on germination.

Light is not as important as a viable seed,
germination medium, water, optimum
temperature, and oxygen.
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Seed Dormancy
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Seed Dormancy
Most seeds produced by mature plants
pass through a period of inactivity or
dormancy prior to germination. During this
period of inactivity, seeds remain viable.

Dormancy may be internal, external, or a
combination of both.




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Embryo (Internal) Dormancy

Dormancy may occur when a mature seed
contains an underdeveloped or immature
embryo.

Internal dormancy of most seeds involves a
period of after-ripening. After-ripening occurs
when a seed does not or is not ready to
germinate until it completes a certain stage
of development.

Some seeds mature in the fruit but do not
germinate until released from the fruit.


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Seedcoat (External) Dormancy
A seed may require a certain amount of
light to germinate causing the seed to
remain dormant until exposed to light.

The seedcoat may be hard and/or thick,
preventing the absorption of water, intake
of oxygen, or physically preventing the
expansion of the embryo.


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Adverse Conditions
Conditions that may affect the viability
and germination of seeds include:

Mechanical Injury
Diseases
Improper Storage
Age
Inadequate Growing Medium


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The Germination
Process
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The Germination Process
Steps in the germination process:

Water Absorption
Radicle Emergence
Plant Emergence
Leaf Formation
Photosynthesis

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Germination
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Water Absorption
The seed absorbs water and oxygen.

Absorbed oxygen causes the seed to swell
and increase in size.

The seed secretes enzymes that convert
insoluble starches into soluble sugars.

Soluble sugars dissolve in the absorbed water
and are used as food by the plant embryo.
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Emergence of Radicle
The seed coat ruptures
permitting the young
root (radicle) to emerge
and grow downward to
anchor the plant.


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Emergence of Radicle
In a dicot, the seed
coat (testa) splits
near the hilum, and
the young root
becomes the primary
root from which all
branching roots form.

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Emergence of Radicle
In a monocot, the young
root breaks through the
coleorhiza (sheath).

The primary root system
that develops from the
radicle is temporary and
is replaced later with a
fibrous root system.


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Plant Emergence
The above-soil-surface portion of the plant
emerges as the radicle develops into the
plants root system.

In a dicot, the hypocotyl elongates, forming an
arch and pulling the cotyledons upward.

The hypocotyl arch straightens to a vertical
position after passing through the soil surface.
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Plant Emergence


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Plant Emergence (monocot)
In a germinating monocot
seed, no hypocotyl arch
exists to push the leaf
portions through the soil.

Instead, the coleoptile
covering the plumule (tight
roll of leaves) pierces the
soil surface exposing the
developing plant to the
sunlight.
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Dicot Germination
Two types of seed germination occur
among dicots based on how the
seedlings emerge.

Epigeous Germination
Hypogeous Germination

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Epigeous Germination
In epigeous germination,
the hypocotyl of the
embryo elongates and
raises the plumule,
epicotyl, and cotyledons
through the soil surface
and above the ground.

Garden beans have an
epigeous type of
germination.
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Epigeous Germination
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Hypogeous Germination
In hypogeous germination,
the epicotyl elongates and
raises the plumule above the
ground.

The cotyedons (which are
usually still enclosed by the
seed coat) and the hypocotyl
never emerge and remain
below the surface of the soil.

Peas have a hypogeous type
of germination.
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Hypogeous Germination
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Leaf Formation

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Dicot Leaf Formation
After emerging through the soil, new
leaves form and photosynthesis begins.

In a dicot, the hypocotyl arch straightens,
and the plumule is shed.

The cotyledons spread apart to serve as
the first leaves to transfer food to other
parts of the plant.
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Dicot Leaf Formation
Once exposed to the air and the light,
the epicotyl begins to develop into the
stem and true leaves are formed.

The cotyledons shrivel and die as the
seedling plant uses their stored food
supply.

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Dicot Leaf Formation
The developing true leaves continue to
photosynthesize and produce a constant
supply of food reserves.

Hypocotyl elongation is restrained by
growth hormones.

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Monocot Leaf Formation
After the coleoptile and plumule of a
monocot emerge, the first true leaves
begin to form.

The food supply in the endosperm is used
up and photosynthesis begins in the true
leaves as they develop.
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Monocot Leaf Formation
Growth hormones prevent further
development of the coleoptile and
plumule.

At the time the coleoptile appears above
the soil surface, a second root system
begins to develop at the base of the
coleoptile to form nodal or adventitious
roots.
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Acknowledgements
Shannon Houy, Graduate Technician, Instructional Materials
Service, researched and developed the information used in
this PowerPoint Presentation.

Christine Stetter, Artist, Instructional Materials Service,
developed and illustrated this PowerPoint Presentation.

Keith Zamzow, Curriculum Specialist, Instructional Materials
Service, edited and reviewed this PowerPoint Presentation.

Vickie Marriott, Office Software Associate, Instructional
Materials Service, edited this PowerPoint Presentation.

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Reproduction or redistribution of all, or
part, of this presentation without
written permission is prohibited.

Instructional Materials Service
Texas A&M University
2588 TAMUS
College Station, Texas 77843-2588
http://www-ims.tamu.edu
2006