show/hide words to know
Dormant: something that is inactive. Not growing or developing.
Embryo: the egg after fertilization and before it has developed into a recognizable form.
Germinate: when seeds start growing and developing after being dormant.
Madagascar: the Republic of Madagascar is an island country of the southeastern coast of Africa... more
Seed Anatomy
Seeing Seeds Close-up - These pictures are of a pea seed
| Here you can see, I've removed the seed coat and split the seed in half. One half has the embryo and some of the stored food, and the other half holds the rest of the stored food. |
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This picture is of the half of the seed that has the embryo. |
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| This picture is a close-up of the embryo. You can see the part of the embryo called the radicle, which will grow and develop into the roots. You can also see the part called the plumule (PLOOM-ule), which will grow and develop into the stems and leaves. |
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Make your own seed germination viewer.
View Citation
Bibliographic details:
- Article: Seed Anatomy
- Author(s): Elena Ortiz
- Publisher: Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist
- Site name: ASU - Ask A Biologist
- Date published: October 7, 2009
- Date accessed: November 29, 2024
- Link: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/content/seeds
APA Style
Elena Ortiz. (2009, October 07). Seed Anatomy. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved November 29, 2024 from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/content/seeds
Chicago Manual of Style
Elena Ortiz. "Seed Anatomy". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 07 October, 2009. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/content/seeds
Elena Ortiz. "Seed Anatomy". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 07 Oct 2009. ASU - Ask A Biologist, Web. 29 Nov 2024. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/content/seeds
MLA 2017 Style
These seeds are in the Fabaceae family and are found only in Madagascar. Can you think of a reason for the bright colored shells?
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