The process of germination starts after the process of seed dispersal. After the seeds are dispersed away from the parent plant, process of germination starts. Germination is the process in which the seed develops into a plant under favorable conditions.
What are favorable conditions?
Favorable conditions for a plant growth are:
Maximum amount of sunlight
Maximum amount of water
Fertile/moist soil ( full of nutrients )
To understand the process of germination, let's go through the structure of seeds.
Seed Structure:
Seed coat: It is a protective layer around the seed.
Cotyledon: Inside the seed coat, there is a cotyledon which carries the food for the baby plant.
Baby plant: It is the embryo, from which a new plant grows.
Let's go through the process of germination through steps:
When the seed is sown into the soil, the seed consume water from the soil rapidly, swelling and softening the seed coat. The baby plant present inside the seed drinks the water and takes food from the cotyledon, where the food is stored.
After sometime the seed coat raptures and a tiny root emerges out of it.
Root grows and pushes down deeper into the soil in search of more water and nutrients to feed the baby plant, also to hold the plant firmly in the soil. (Note: To learn about the functions of parts of plants, click here.)
The seed becomes active and shoot grows upward, as the seed coat splits from the opposite end to give rise to the seedling (baby plant).
Finally we see the growing part (shoot) rising through the seed coat and emerging above the ground for sunlight, when the seed coat splits open to give rise to the seedling.
Cotyledon has finished it's job, so they fall off the plant and become part of the soil. Once they are gone, the roots and leaves take over the task of supplying food to the new plant, with the help of the process of photosynthesis the single seed grows into a plant.
This whole process is called "Germination"
Pictures taken from google
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