BSC 196 Lecture Notes - Lecture 28: Golden Rice, Ovule, Vegetative Reproduction
Document Summary
The development of a seed into a flowering plant includes several stages. The first mitotic division of the zygote splits the fertilized egg into a basal cell and a terminal cell. Seed dormancy increases the chances that germination will occur at a time and place most advantageous to the seedling. Breaking seed dormancy often requires environmental cues, e. g. , temperature or lighting changes. Most seeds remain viable after 1-2 years of dormancy; some last only days; others can remain viable for centuries. Germination depends on imbibition=uptake of water due to low water potential of the dry seed. The flowers of a given plant species are synchronized to appear at a specific time of the year to promote outbreeding. A fruit is the mature ovary of a flower. It protects the enclosed seeds and aids in seed dispersal by wind or animals. Fruit & seed dispersal mechanisms include: water, wind, animals.
