Overview
In many types of seeds, the hard casing of the seed is surrounded by flesh called a fruit. Many fruits are attractive to animals, providing food, so the seeds are dispersed that way. Others are dispersed by wind and water. Some seeds are dormant until the conditions are right for plants to grow, while others sprout rapidly. Seeds then germinate and grow into plants.
Fruits
The developing seed of a flowering plant (angiosperm) is contained within a tough seed coat. The seed coat contains the embryo and its food supply. The ovary wall thickens to form a fruit that encloses the hard seeds. Some fruits are fleshy and sweet, such as grapes, berries, and cherries, while others are tough, such as bean pods. Since a fruit is any seed enclosed within an embryo wall, vegetables such as corn, beans, and tomatoes are also fruits, even though they do not taste sweet.
Seed Dispersal
The fruit does not nourish the seedling as it grows, as the food supply is within the seed itself. Some fruits attract birds and mammals as food sources. The seeds pass through the digestive tract and are dispersed that way. Other seeds, such as those of ash and maple trees, are encased in structures that float on the air. The aerodynamic wings that surround a maple seed are actually a fruit. Coconuts are light enough to float on water for long enough to be carried to distant islands.
Seed Dormancy
Some seeds, such as beans, sprout very quickly if they have enough water and warmth. Other types of seeds enter a period of dormancy, where the embryo within them is still alive but will not sprout until the conditions are right. They will not grow until the soil temperature and moisture is right to support the developing seedlings. For example, many plants that grow in temperate regions do not sprout until the spring.
Seed Germination
During germination, the early growth stage of a plant, seeds absorb water. The tough seed coat swells and cracks open beneath the soil. The root grows from the seed and eventually the growing plant breaks through the surface of the soil.
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