Seed

A mature plant ovule containing an embryo, stored resources, and a protective coat. It can remain dormant until conditions permit germination.

Plant ovule: The structure in a seed plant that contains the female reproductive cell and develops into a seed after fertilization. A seed develops from a fertilized ovule.
Germination: The resumption of growth by a seed embryo, producing a seedling under suitable conditions. It is the transition from a dormant or quiescent seed to a growing plant.
Seed saving: The practice of collecting and storing seeds for future planting. Farmers and gardeners preserve useful plant varieties by saving seed.
Spore: A reproductive cell or structure that can develop into a new organism without fusing with another cell. Unlike a seed, a spore lacks a multicellular embryo enclosed with stored food and a seed coat.
Plant embryo: An immature plant contained within a seed, with embryonic organs that develop after germination. It is the living plant that the seed protects.
Imbibition: The uptake of water by dry biological materials, causing them to swell. Water uptake is an early physical step in seed germination.
Seed bank (conservation): A facility that stores seeds under controlled conditions to conserve plant genetic diversity. Conservation seed banks keep viable material for research and possible restoration.
Pollen grain: The male gametophyte of seed plants, which carries sperm cells toward the ovule. Pollen transports male reproductive cells; it is not the embryo-bearing product of fertilization.
Seed coat: The protective outer covering of a seed, formed from the ovule’s integuments. It shields the embryo and stored resources from damage and drying.
Seed dispersal: The movement of seeds away from their parent plants by wind, water, animals, or other means. Dispersal carries seeds to places where they may establish new plants.

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