Seed germination

Seed germination is the resumption of growth in a seed embryo under suitable conditions, beginning with water uptake and culminating in seedling emergence.

Imbibition: The rapid uptake of water by dry biological materials, driven largely by physical forces. Water uptake is the first visible event that reactivates a dry seed.
Seed: A plant reproductive structure containing an embryo, a protective coat, and usually stored food. Germination is the developmental transition from this packaged, often dormant structure.
Seed priming: A controlled hydration treatment that advances seed metabolism without allowing radicle emergence. Priming can speed and synchronize germination after sowing.
Arabidopsis thaliana: A small flowering plant widely used as a model organism in plant biology. Its genetics have made it a major system for studying hormonal and environmental control of germination.
Seedling establishment: The successful transition of a young plant from germination to independent growth. Germination alone does not ensure survival; the seedling must establish afterward.
Seed dormancy: A condition in which a viable seed fails to germinate despite apparently suitable conditions. Dormancy can prevent germination until environmental or internal blocks are removed.
Plant embryo: The young plant contained within a seed, formed from the fertilized egg and comprising embryonic organs. Its renewed cell growth drives the seed’s transition into a seedling.
Seed testing: Methods for assessing seed quality, including viability, vigor, purity, and germination capacity. Germination tests estimate how many seeds will produce normal seedlings under specified conditions.
Lettuce: A leafy vegetable crop whose seeds often respond strongly to light and temperature during germination. Lettuce illustrates how light exposure and high temperatures can alter germination.
Soil seed bank: The collection of viable seeds present in or on soil at a given place and time. Patterns of germination determine which buried seeds persist or join the active plant community.

Linked from 29 pages