Page 99 - The Miracle In The Seed

s described in the previous section, the first phase of devel-
opment of a seed into a plant is its transportation. Then the
A germination begins. When a seed has matured, it usually
does not germinate immediately, for in order to germinate, several dif-
ferent factors must come together at the same time. The right levels of
heat, moisture and oxygen are necessary. If any one of these conditions
is missing, the germination process stops. But when all these condi-
tions are present, the quiescent seed comes to life.
For germination of a seed, the prime requirement is water. This is
because there is no water in a mature seed’s embryo and there must be
a moist environment in the cells for metabolism to be activated and for
growth to take place. Moreover, water makes the enzymes necessary
for growth more effective. When the seeds take in water and metabolic
activity begins, the roots and shoots start to grow, and cell division
takes place. Cells differentiate in order for specific functions to be car-
ried out by specialized tissues. 51
At this stage, oxygen becomes imperative. With respiration, the
seed starts to produce from the nutrients it contains the heat and en-
ergy it needs to form new parts of the growing plant. The appropriate
temperature, on the other hand, enables the enzymes to function at
maximum speed. 52
Nutrients are required for the seed to grow, but it doesn’t yet have
a source it can draw on until it is ready to take in minerals through its
roots. So how does the seed find the nutrients it needs to develop?
The answer to this question is hidden inside the seed. As has been
detailed in previous sections, the reserve of nutrients that develops
during the pollination process is used by the seed until its shoot
emerges out of the earth. Until seedlings grow leaves capable of mak-
ing their own food supply and roots to absorb nutrients from the soil,
they are dependent on these nutrients stored within their structure.