A seed is simply an artificial embryo enclosed in a thin outer shell. The creation of that seed, the gamete, is a part of the reproductive process in seed plants, namely the gymnosperm and the angiosperm plants. It is during the gamete stage when the gamete merges into the ovum, also known as the endometrium. At this point the fertilization process takes place and the newly created seed is implanted into the uterine lining to form the embryo.
Seeds and the pollen they contain, are highly sought after gardeners for their pollen-rich and beneficial flowers. In fact, seeds and pollen have been traded for centuries among various civilizations. Today, they are prized even more for their nutritional value and healing properties. Seeds are highly valued due to the fact that it is the living flower of a plant that is capable of germination. In many ways, a flower seed acts like the embryo of a small child that is waiting to be born when it is released from the mother’s womb.
Flowering plants do not only produce flowers; they also distribute their pollen throughout the world. This is one reason why many different types of insects, birds, and other creatures feed off of these natural pollinators. One popular type of insect that feeds off of plant pollen is the oriole. Their favorite foods include, black oil sunflower seeds, red willow tree leaves, and sweet pea shoots.
A cotyledon is a structure on the seed coat of a seed which resembles a small ovule. Cotyledons can be seen in a wide variety of species of flowering plants including, tulips, daffodils, daisies, sunflowers, and hydrangeas. While a Cotyledon is an egg-like structure, it actually has a hard shell covering which prevents the seed from being damaged by predators. The egg-like structure will eventually fall off when the seedling reaches maturity.
Many times seeds are expelled by a seed plant through the placenta. The placenta is attached to the side of the baby plant and continues to break down the seed until it releases its new, complete reproductive structure. Once the reproductive structure is developed fully, it drops to the ground where birds or insects will grab it and begin to digest the seed. Before the seeds are dropped to the earth, the placenta detaches from the plant, which means that the seeds will be dispersed into the environment. There are many different species of birds that will utilize this process for the development of new plants.
Most animals produce seeds in response to food. The wind and insects are two prime sources for plant seeds to be dispersed. Some plants produce flowers that bloom at different times of the year. These flowers’ seeds are blown away by the wind or absorbed by the soil before they germinate. Other plants produce their own food through a process called transpiration.
Seed plants are made by gymnosperms. These plants are part of a group of fungi called “eukaryotic” organisms. These organisms have single-celled reproductive structures that multiply and reproduce by division. Unlike animals, plants have a nucleus, a living cell, so all the reproduction needs to happen in the same place.
In nature, animals and plants use all three forms of reproduction. Animal sperm is used for the fertilization of an egg, and plant sperm is used for fertilization of a fruit. When the two forms of reproduction happen at the same time, the embryo develops into a baby and is implanted in the uterus where it is ready to be born. Sperm and germ cells are separate from one another and only join together during fertilization. Embryonic development then occurs in the lab to form the embryos that will become the new life form you are looking at in the test tube.
