Family Herb Corner
Just For Kids
LOOK INSIDE A SEED
Get some BIG lima bean seeds - the bigger the better.
Soak 2 or 3 of these seeds in a container of tap water for at least 24 hours. Make sure that the water covers the seeds.
After 24 hours, look at the seeds.
Does the outer cover look all wrinkled? If yes, you need to continue soaking the seeds for another 24 hours.
Have the seeds really swelled up and gotten bigger? Is the outer cover starting to come off? If yes, you are ready to take your seed apart.
Here's How:
1. Carefully peel off the outer cover. This covering is called the SEED COAT.
2. Carefully put your fingernail in the crack between the 2 halves of the seed and separate them.
Each half is called a COTYLEDON (pronounced like cot-ah-LEE-done). Cotyledons are also called seed leaves.
When you look at the inside of the seed, you should see something like this. You might want to use a magnifying glass or hand lens to see the embryo more clearly.
Seeds that have 2 halves will grow into plants called DICOTS. "DI" means 2 and "COT" stands for Cotyledon. DICOTS have 2 COTYLEDONS.
Seeds that don't have 2 halves will grow into plants called MONOCOTS. "MONO" means 1. MONOCOTS have 1 COTYLEDON.
Corn is a monocot.
You can also look inside a monocot. It just takes a bit more care and work. And you might need an adult to help you take the seed apart.
Here's How:
Get some corn seeds.
Soak them in a container of water for 2 days. After soaking the seeds should be as soft as possible.
When you look at the outside of the seed, this is what you'll see.
| One side will look like this: | The other side will look like this: | |
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To see the inside of the seed, you will need to cut it in half with a sharp knife. ASK AN ADULT TO HELP YOU!!
Put the seed on a hard surface like a cutting board where it won't slip and slide.
Carefully cut the middle of the corn seed from top to bottom like this:
You should see something like this when you look inside. A magnifying glass or hand lens will help you see the parts more clearly.
MONOCOT SEEDS and DICOT SEEDS have the same parts, but MONOCOT seeds have one more part called
ENDOSPERM.
WHAT DO ALL THESE PARTS DO WHEN A SEED IS PLANTED AND IT GERMINATES?
When a seed GERMINATES, it begins growing into a new plant.
The EMBRYO is the seed part that becomes the new plant.
Since it takes a lot of energy to grow, the EMBRYO needs FOOD.
In DICOTS the food is in the COTYLEDONS.
In MONOCOTS the food is in the ENDOSPERM.