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The Miracle of Plants: Smart Seeds

Are Seeds Alive? From the outside, seeds might seem to be lifeless. But they're not — when they aren't producing plants, they're what scientists call "dormant" (sleeping).

There are good reasons for seeds to stay dry, hard, and "asleep" for long periods of time. Like a jacket or a snug sleeping bag, a seed's tough outer coat helps it survive freezing temperatures, drought, or fungus attacks, which would kill a tender plant.

Seeds may remain dormant for weeks, months, or even years. When at last conditions are right, seeds "wake up" and begin to grow.

Wake up, sleepyheads! The exciting time when seeds wake up and burst forth is called "germination." When a little seed germinates, it begins its journey to becoming a mature (adult) plant. During a period of rapid growth and change, the seed opens its outer coat and forms tiny roots and leaves.

Each seed has tiny genes which contain its genetic code. Like instructions on a map, the seed's genes contain all the information it needs for what it's going to grow up to be. This is how the seed "knows" if it will become a coconut, a pumpkin, or a great oak tree.

 

NEXT: What Do Plants Need to Grow?