Page 108 - The Miracle In The Seed

THE MIRACLE IN THE SEED

The Determination of Shoots

A great deal of force is required for the
root and shoot of a germinating seed to break
open the seed and drive their way through
the soil. The power of plant growth is better
understood when you know that seedlings
are capable of cracking and breaking through
an asphalt road.
The source of this force is the hydraulic
pressure that builds up inside every plant’s
cells. These pressures, essential for the plant’s
growth, stretch the cell walls. Were it not for
this effect, cell enlargement in the plant

Different stages in the growth of an acorn.
The seeds (upper left) start to germinate shortly
after reaching the ground. The seedling in the
picture below will in time grow into a great oak
tree, as in the picture to the right.