University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College Bio 111.

1 Plant Morphoanatomy and Diversity Laboratory

Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

EXERCISE 9
THE SEED

Introduction

Seeds are among the most important structures in the plant kingdom because they ensure
the survival of plant species. They are produced by flowering plants, gymnosperms, and certain
ferns and mosses and serve as a method of dispersal and reproduction. There is a wide variety of
seed shapes, sizes, and colors, and each seed contains the necessary genetic information to produce
a new plant. Depending on the species, the anatomy and morphology of seeds can vary greatly.
However, they typically consist of a protective seed coat, an endosperm that provides nutrients for
the developing embryo, and an embryo that contains all the genetic material required for a new
plant to develop.

Objectives

Students will be able to observe and comprehend the seed's structures by the conclusion of
this activity. They will have learned the names of the various seed components through dissection.
Most importantly, they will have learned how to connect the structure of each seed component
with its function. Understanding the relationship between structure and function is a fundamental
concept in biology and essential to comprehending living organisms' operation. This exercise will
give students a solid foundation in seed anatomy, an important topic relevant to many fields of
study, such as plant biology, agriculture, and horticulture.

Materials
In this exercise the following materials will be utilized:
• Soaked Lima bean seed (Phaseolus lunatus)
• Dissecting set
• Hand lens
• Prepared slide of Capsella embryo in l.s.
• Prepared slide of Zea embryo in l.s.
• Microscope
 University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College Bio 111.1 Plant Morphoanatomy and Diversity Laboratory
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Procedure

Part A. Seed Dissection

The students carefully observed the soaked lima bean seed and identified its structures,
including the testa, hilum, micropyle, cotyledons, embryo plant, plumule, and hypocotyl. The testa
was removed carefully from the seed's exterior edge. Its two sides, the cotyledons, were carefully
separated, with the embryo plant on one side of each cotyledon. The embryo's components have
been examined in great detail using a hand lens.

Part B. Dicotyledonous Embryo and Seed

Under the microscope, a prepared slide of a Capsella embryo (l.s.) was obtained. The shape
and components were identified.

Part C. Monocotyledonous Embryo and Seed

A prepared slide of a Zea embryo (l.s.) was obtained to be examined under the microscope.
The shape and parts were noted and identified.

Discussion and Results

Figure 1.1 Soaked Lima Bean

 University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College Bio 111.1 Plant Morphoanatomy and Diversity Laboratory
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Plumule

Hypocotyl
hilum
Radicle
micropyle Seed coat

cotyledon

Figure 1.2 Sketch of the lateral view of lima bean Figure 1.3 Sketch of of the lima bean

Lima bean, also called butter bean, is a type of legume. It is in the family Fabaceae. A lima
bean has several parts that make up its anatomy. The seed coat, the outermost layer, protects the
embryo inside. Cotyledons are the two fleshy parts of a bean that make up most of it. They feed
the growing embryo with food. The embryo is made up of the embryonic axis, which is made up
of the hypocotyl, radicle, and plumule. The hypocotyl, radicle, and plumule grow into the young
plant. The bean has a scar where it was joined to the pod. This is called the hilum. Also, the lima
bean has special structures called nodules that hold bacteria that take nitrogen from the air and
change it into a form the plant can use.

Figure 2.1 Capsella embryo l.s under Figure 2.1 Sketch of Capsella embryo
40x magnification
 University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College Bio 111.1 Plant Morphoanatomy and Diversity Laboratory
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

It can be observed in the longitudinal section of an embryo of Capsella under a microscope,

some distinct structures essential to the plant's development. Typically, the embryo is small, and
its structures are difficult to discern without magnification. The Capsella embryo in l.s. displays
the cotyledons, radicle, hypocotyl, plumule, and epicotyl. The cotyledons are the most noticeable
structures, appearing as small, fleshy leaves on either side of the embryonic axis. The radicle is a
small, pointed structure that emerges from the base of the embryo, whereas the plumule is a small
bud that appears at the top of the embryonic axis.

Figure 2.1 Zea mays embryo l.s under Figure 2.1 Sketch of Zea mays embryo
40x magnification

Under the microscope, the Zea mays embryo appears as a series of different structures and
tissues in the longitudinal section. The cotyledon is the biggest part of the embryo. It looks like a
mass of big, fleshy cells with water. It can also be observed that the cotyledon cells have small,
refractile bodies made of starch. The embryonic axis resembles a collection of long cells that
comprise the plant's shoot system. The part of the axis above the cotyledon called the epicotyl
looks like a group of small, tightly packed cells. The part of the axis below the cotyledon is called
the hypocotyl. It looks like a larger, longer structure made up of long cells. The root system starts
with the radicle, which looks like a small, long structure at the base of the hypocotyl. The
coleorhiza, which looks like a thin layer of tissue around the radicle and protects it, is wrapped
around it.
 University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College Bio 111.1 Plant Morphoanatomy and Diversity Laboratory
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Conclusion

In conclusion, the seed is an important part of a plant's reproductive system. It holds the
embryo, which grows into a new plant. The seed has many parts, including the seed coat, the
cotyledons, and the embryonic axis. All of these parts are important for the seed's growth and
germination. The seed coat protects the embryo from the outside environment and helps control
how much water it takes while growing. The cotyledons are the main source of carbohydrates,
lipids, and proteins the developing embryo needs. The embryonic axis controls how the plant
grows and changes, including how the root and shoot systems are made. When you look at the
different parts of seed under a microscope, you can learn a lot about how the plant grows and
develops on the inside. This can help you understand how plants grow and survive in different
environments.

Study Questions

1. How is seed dispersal vital for plant survival?

Seed dispersal is necessary for plant survival because it allows plants to disperse their offspring
to new locations, increasing their chances of survival and reproduction. When seeds are dispersed
away from the parent plant, they can avoid resource competition and reduce the risk of diseases
and pests prevalent in the environment of the parent plant. Without seed dispersal, plant
populations would be confined to their immediate environment, increasing the risk of inbreeding,
reducing genetic diversity, and increasing the likelihood of extinction due to environmental
changes or disturbances. Therefore, dispersal permits plants to colonize new habitats, adapt to
different environmental conditions, and establish new populations necessary for plant species'
survival and evolution, ensuring their continued existence and adaptation to a changing
environment.

2. What are the different types of seed dispersal? Discuss your answer.
 University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College Bio 111.1 Plant Morphoanatomy and Diversity Laboratory
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Plants utilize various seed dispersal mechanisms to ensure their survival and successful
reproduction. Wind dispersal is common in plants with light seeds, such as dandelions and maple
trees, because the wind can carry them over great distances. Aquatic plants or plants near water
bodies use water dispersal to transport their seeds, which can float on the water's surface or be
consumed by aquatic animals and transported through their digestive systems. Animal dispersal
can be further subdivided into two types: endozoochory, in which seeds are dispersed by animals
that eat the fruit and defecate the undigested seeds, such as birds and mammals, and epizoochory,
in which animals transport seeds with fur or feathers, such as burrs on a dog's coat. Self-dispersal
occurs in plants that have evolved mechanisms to propel their seeds away from the parent plant,
such as the touch-me-not plant's exploding seed pods or the tension in the seed pods of the witch
hazel plant. Each of these mechanisms has its advantages and disadvantages. However, they all
allow plants to disperse their seeds over a larger area, thereby increasing their chances of
germination and survival.

3. Are there differences in morphology between monocot and dicot seeds? Tabulate these
differences (if any).

Characteristic Monocot Seeds Dicot Seeds

Seed Coat Thin, membranous Thick, hard

Cotyledons Usually one, sometimes two Always two

Endosperm Usually, present Usually, absent

Embryo Small compared to endosperm Large compared to endosperm

Radicle Emerges from one end of the seed Emerges from one end of the seed

Cotyledon Veins Parallel Branched

Examples of Plants Corn, Rice, Wheat Beans, Peas, Sunflowers

The seed coat of a dicot is thick and hard, while the seed coat of a monocot is thin and
appears to be membrane-like. Monocot seeds can have two cotyledons sometimes, but dicot seeds
always have two. Endosperm is usually found in monocot seeds but not in dicot seeds. The embryo
 University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College Bio 111.1 Plant Morphoanatomy and Diversity Laboratory
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

is small compared to the endosperm in monocot seeds but big compared to the endosperm in dicot
seeds. The radicle grows from the opposite end of the seed in both types of seeds. In monocot
seeds, the veins of the cotyledon are parallel in monocot seed, while in dicot seeds, they branch
out. Monocot seeds come from plants like corn, rice, and wheat. Dicot seeds come from plants like
white beans, peas, and sunflowers.
 University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College Bio 111.1 Plant Morphoanatomy and Diversity Laboratory
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

References

5.4: Seeds. (2021, June 3). Biology LibreTexts.

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Botany/Botany_in_Hawaii_(Daniela_Dutra_Elliott

_and_Paula_Mejia_Velasquez)/05%3A_Flowers_fruits_and_seeds/5.04%3A_Seeds

seed | Form, Function, Dispersal, & Germination. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/science/seed-plant-reproductive-part

Seed Definition and Examples - Biology Online Dictionary. (n.d.). Biology Articles, Tutorials &

Dictionary Online. https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/seed

Toppr-guides. (2018, January 31). Toppr-Guides.

https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/anatomy-of-flowering-plants/the-seed/

What Is a Seed?» New York Botanical Garden. (2021, April 2). New York Botanical Garden.

https://www.nybg.org/planttalk/what-is-a-

seed/#:~:text=The%20seed%20is%20the%20embryonic

Wikipedia Contributors. (2019, May 7). Seed. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed