Fröet

In botany, a seed (fröet) is the reproductive unit of seed plants, formed from a fertilized ovule. It contains an embryonic plant, a supply of nutrients, and a protective outer coat. Seeds enable plants to survive harsh conditions and to disperse away from the parent, often aided by fruits or other dispersal structures. The embryo will develop into a mature plant when conditions are favorable.

Structure: The embryo typically includes a radicle (future root) and a shoot, or plumule. In many seeds, the nutritive tissue is provided by endosperm; in others the endosperm is absorbed during development and the nutrients are stored in cotyledons. The seed coat, derived from the outer layers of the ovule, protects the contents.

Development and dormancy: After fertilization, the zygote grows into the embryo while the surrounding tissues mature into the seed coat. Seeds often enter dormancy, a temporary state that prevents germination until environmental conditions are suitable. Dormancy can be broken by stratification (cold) or scarification (physical or chemical cues), light, or moisture.

Germination: When water is absorbed, metabolism resumes, the seed coat splits, the radicle emerges as the first root, followed by the plumule signaling the shoot.

Dispersal and life cycle: Dispersal mechanisms include wind, water, animals, or fruit structures. Seeds may remain viable for years in soil or storage, forming seed banks or seed reserves in agriculture.

Significance: Seeds are central to plant reproduction and agriculture; they enable genetic diversity, species propagation, and food production.