POST FERTILIZATION

EVENTS OF SEED
• STRUCTURE
• TYPES OF SEEDS
• AND MANY MORE

SASWAT TRIPATHY
CLASS 12
ROLL NO. 22
SUBJECT : BIOLOGY
 STRUCTURE OF A SEED
A TYPICAL SEED CONSISTS OF A SEED COAT, COTYLEDON AND AN
EMBRYONAL AXIS. THE SEED COAT IS OFTEN DOUBLE LAYERED, FORMED
BY THE INTEGUMENTS. THE OUTER INTEGUMENT FORMS THE OUT SEED
COAT OR TESTA, WHICH IS HARD AND INNER INTEGUMENTS FORMS THE
INNER SEED COAT OR TEGEMEN.

INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF A SEED IS GIVEN BELOW ;

• STRUCTURE OF SEEDS OF CORN AND BEAN
•
INTERNAL VIEW OF A SEED
THE COTYLEDONS ARE GENERALLY THICK AND SWOLLEN WITH FOOD
MATERIALS. THESE ARE ONE TO TWO IN NUMBER AND RICH IN RESERVE
FOOD MATERIAL.
• MICROPYLE REMAINS AS A SMALL OPENING FOUND ON THE SEED COAT
WHICH FACILITATES THE ENTRY OF WATER AND OXYGEN INTO THE
SEED.
• THE ENDOSPERM /COTYLEDON ARE MAJOR FOOD RESERVES FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SEED. WE ALSO CATEGORIZE SEEDS IN TERMS OF THE
ENDOSPERM CONSUMPTION WHICH WE WILL DISCUSS A BIT LATER.
• THE PLUMULE PART OF THE SEED EVOLVES INTO THE STEM OF THE
PLANT MEANWHILE THE RADICAL PART GETS CONVERTED INTO THE
RADICAL
• LETS UNDERSTAND IT BETTER BY THE DIAGRAM GIVEN BELOW
• INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF A SEED
 FUNCTIONS OF PARTS OF SEED
• SEED COAT ; THE SEED COAT PROVIDES PROTECTION AND HELPS IN THE
DISPERSAL OF SEEDS. THE SEED COAT IS MADE UP OF TWO LAYERS: THE OUTER
TESTA AND THE INNER TEGMEN. THE TESTA IS TOUGH AND PROTECTIVE AND IT
PREVENTS MECHANICAL DAMAGE AND THE ENTRY OF PATHOGENS.
THE TEGMEN IS THIN AND DELICATE AND IT PROVIDES A PROTECTIVE COVERING
FOR THE EMBRYO
• ENDOSPERM ; IT ACTS AS NUTRIENT RESERVOIR FOR THE SEED’S
DEVELOPMENT
• PERISPERM ; THE PERSISTENT NUCELLUS IS KNOWN AS THE PERISPERM. IT IS
NOT PRESENT IN ALL SEEDS. NUCELLUS NORMALLY GETS USED UP IN THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE EMBRYO SAC. IF REMAINED, THEN KNOWN AS PERISPERM.
PERISPERM IS PRESENT IN SEEDS OF SUGAR BEET, BLACK PEPPER, ETC.
 TYPES OF SEED ON BASIS OF
ENDOSPERM
ALBUMINOUS SEEDS NON ALBUMINOUS SEEDS

• THESE SEED HAVE RESIDUAL • THESE SEEDS HAVE NO RESIDUAL

ENDOSPERM AS IT IS NOT ENDOSPERM AS IT IS COMPLETELY
COMPLETELY USED UP DURING CONSUMED DURING THE EMBRYONIC
EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT. DEVELOPMENT.

• EXAMPLES OF NON ALBUMINOUS

• EXAMPLES OF ALBUMINOUS SEEDS SEEDS INCLUDE PEA, GROUNDNUT,
INCLUDE WHEAT, MAIZE, BARLEY AND ETC.
CASTOR AND MANY MORE

• IN SUCH SEEDS FOOD IS STORED • IN SUCH SEEDS FOOD IS STORED IN

MAINLY IN ENDOSPERM. COTYLEDON ONLY.
TYPES OF SEEDS IN TERMS OF NO. OF
COTYLEDONS
 ADVANTAGES OF SEEDS

1. THEY ARE THE BASIS OF OUR AGRICULTURE

2. THE STORED FOOD IN SEEDS SUPPORTS THE GROWTH OF SEEDS TILL
THEY BECOME NUTRITIONALLY INDEPENDENT
3. THESE CAN BE STORED FOR LONGER TIME AS FOOD SOURCE,
4. EXAMPLES LIKE LUPINUS ARCTICUS OF ARCTIC TUNDRA
REMAINED DORMANT FOR 10,000 YEARS
5. SEEDS ARE THE PRODUCTS OF SEXUAL REPRODUCTION, SO
THEY PROVIDE GENETIC RECOMBINATION
6. SEEDS HAVE ADAPTATION TO FACILITATE ADAPTIVE
STRATEGIES FOR DISPERSAL TO FORM NEW PLANT
COLONIES.
 SEED DISPERSAL
• IT IS THE MOVEMENT OR TRANSPORT OF SEEDS AWAY FROM THE
PARENT PLANT. THIS ALLOW SEEDS TO SPREAD IN A LARGE
GEOGRAPHICAL AREA.
• SEED DISPERSAL IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF THE SEEDS ARE NOT
DISPERSED, MANY GERMINATING SEEDLINGS WILL GROW VERY
CLOSE TO THE PARENT PLANT.
• SEEDLINGS GROWING CLOSE TO PARENT PLANT RESULTS IN
COMPETITION BETWEEN SEEDLINGS AS WELL AS THE PARENT
PLANT. THE COMPETITION IS FOR LIGHT, SPACE, WATER AND
NUTRIENTS