Germination of Seeds

The Part of Seeds

Testa
- to protect the seed

Seed
Coat

Micropyle
-allows air and
water to enter the
seed.
Hilum
-the place where the
seed was attached
to the fruit wall
Cotyledon
-stores food (starch)

Embr
yo

Radicle
-to grow and form
the roots

Physical changes in seedlings

during Germination
Germination is the process in which
the embryo
grows into a seedling.

Process of germination.
1. The seed absorbs water and air through
the seed hole, as the embryo needs
them to survive.
2. The seed swell and causes the testa to
split.

3. The radicle grows downwards into the soil to

form the root
The plumule grows upwards to form a new
shoot.
4. The seedling continues to absorb food from the
food store until it forms green leaves to
produce its own food by photosynthesis.
5. The cotyledons shrink and become smaller
as the food they store is used for germination.
In the end, the cotyledons
will fall off.

 2 types of germinations
a) Epigeal Germination: the cotyledons
are carried above the level of the
soil. Eg: sword bean seed, castor oil
seed.
b) Hypogeal Germination : the
cotyledons remain in the soil. Eg:
maize, four-angled bean seed.

Conditions for seed Germination

a) Water: to activate the enzymes to
break down the starch in cotyledon.
This is to produce maltose for
embryo
b) Oxygen :for cell respiration to
produce energy
c) Warmth: suitable temperature for
seeds to germinate(30oc -35oc)

VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION
Vegetative reproduction is a
method of
producing new plants using any part
of the parent plant, other than the
flower.
Parts of the plants that can reproduce
vegetatively are the root, stem and
leaf.

4.12 VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION IN FLOWERING

PLANTS
Vegetative
parts

Examples of plants

Leaves

Bryophyllum

Begonia

Mother in laws tongue

4.12 VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION IN FLOWERING

PLANTS
Vegetative
parts

Examples of plants

Roots

Carrot

Vegetative
Parts

Examples Of Plants

Stem
1. Stem cutting

Sugar Cane

Topioca

4.12 VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION IN FLOWERING

PLANTS
Vegetative parts

Examples of plants

Stems
2.Horizontal stem
(runners)

Sweet potato
Stems
3.Bulb

Spider Lily Onion

Vegetative

Water lettuce

Vegetative parts

Examples of plants

Stems
4. Uderground
Stem
a) Rhizomes

Canna Lily

b) Tubers

Potato

Ginger

4.12 VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION IN FLOWERING

PLANTS
Vegetative
parts

Examples of plants

c) Corms

Yam
Chestnut

Water

d) Suckers

banana

Bamboo

Advantages Of Vegetative Reproduction

a) The new plants grow much faster
b) the good characteristics of the parent
plant passed on to the new plants
c) Does not requires pollination agent
d) Does not need fertilization as no
gametes are used

Disadvantages of Vegetative
Reproduction
a) The new plants are one type only
b) Even the bad qualities of the parent
plant are passed on to the new
plants
c) There is competition of nutrients,
space and sunlight between new
plants and the parent plants

Application of research on vegetative reproduction in agriculture :

1.Tissue culture:
cultivation of plant tissues in nutrient
medium in the laboratory to produce
new plants.
most plants cell have the ability to
generate new plants
2.Stem cuttings

Question
1. The Diagram shows an experiment to
study the conditions needed for
germination of seeds. Test tubes J,K,
L and M contain green bean seeds in
different conditions.

a) What will happen to the green

bean seeds in test tube L after one
day?
b)After 3 days, the seeds in test
tubes J and K do not not
germinate. Explain why this
happens.
c) What should be done so that the
green bean seeds in test tube J
will germinate?
d)State what will happen to the

Answer
a) They germinate
b) There is no water in the test tube J
and no air in test tube K
c) Add water
d) Radicle: becomes roots
Plumule : Becomes the shoots