Use the Scientific Method to see how seeds germinate and grow

1. Seeds
Germinate

2. Germination
Germination – the initial growth
of a plant from a seed; sprouting.

3. Seed
Seed – a small, usually hard
structure that contains the embryo
of a plant.

4. Sprout
Sprout – the young start of a plant
(noun); to begin to grow (verb).

5. Scientific Method
• Because seeds are easy to find,
and grow quickly, they are often
used to practice using the scientific
method.

6. Hypothesis
Hypothesis – a tentative
explanation which can be tested by
doing experiments

7. Controlled experiment
Controlled experiment – a test
of a hypothesis.
Generally, in a controlled
experiment, all conditions are kept
the same except for the variable
being tested.

8. Variable
Variable – a factor that can be
changed in an experiment.

9. Scientific Background
• The life cycle of a plant includes germination, growth,
reproduction and death. Seeds are small structures
that contain the embryo of a plant, which can grow
into a new plant. Germination is the start of that
growth. It occurs when conditions are right for the
seed to sprout. The time that it takes for a seed to
germinate varies from plant to plant. The amounts of
water and soil temperature are the most important
factors but some seeds depend on light as well.

10. Seed germination
• Seed germination occurs in several stages.
First seeds absorb moisture and swell up until
the seed coats burst. Inside the seed is a tiny
new plant called an embryo. The seed contains
the food necessary for the embryo to begin to
grow. Seeds have either one or two food
storage areas called cotyledons. Monocots
have one and dicots have two.

11. Cotyledons

12. Plant Germination

13. Darkness or Light?
• Most seeds can germinate in darkness (in the
soil) but some seeds need a period of light
before they begin to germinate. Once a sprout
becomes a seedling, it will need sunlight for
photosynthesis. Roots will grow downward,
and the sprout will grow toward the light.
• Seeds sprout when the light (length of day)
will be adequate enough to support their
growth.

14. Temperature
• Temperature is important to all seeds but
some seeds actually require a period of cold
temperature before they germinate. Seeds
germinate when the cold weather has passed.
• Sometimes a warm period in spring will get
the plants to germinate, then a “cold snap”
will follow. The low temperatures may freeze
the new plants and cause them to die.

16. Selected Web Resources
• Great Plant Escape:
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/index.html
• Canadian Botanical Conservation Network:
http://www.rbg.ca/cbcn/en/cbcn4kids/kidsindex.htm
• All About Plants: http://library.thinkquest.org/3608/
• Open Door website:
http://www.saburchill.com/chapters/chap0047.html
• Wikipedia page on germination:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germination

17. Resources
• All artwork is from Creative
Commons