Curriculum 01

Botany Basics

The science of plants — how they are built, how they function, how they grow

Section I — Foundation

Chapter 7: Seeds and Fruit — Development and Dispersal

Why this matters: Seeds are the beginning and end of the plant life cycle. Understanding seed anatomy explains germination requirements, seed saving, dormancy and stratification, why some seeds need fire or cold to sprout, and how to store seed for years. Understanding fruit explains dispersal strategies, what we actually eat, and how plants recruit animals to spread their offspring.

7.1 What is a Seed?

A seed is a mature, fertilized ovule — a complete embryonic plant packaged with its own food supply, protected inside a seed coat.

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SEED = embryo + endosperm + seed coat

From: 7.1 What is a Seed?

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig01.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig01.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig01.png" alt="SEED = embryo + endosperm + seed coat"></figure>

7.2 Seed Anatomy in Detail

The Embryo

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BEAN SEED — split open

From: 7.2 Seed Anatomy in Detail

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig02.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig02.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig02.png" alt="BEAN SEED — split open"></figure>

Monocot vs Dicot Seeds

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DICOT SEED: MONOCOT SEED

From: 7.2 Seed Anatomy in Detail

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig03.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig03.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig03.png" alt="DICOT SEED: MONOCOT SEED"></figure>

7.3 Germination

Germination is the resumption of growth from a dormant seed. Three conditions are required:

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THREE REQUIREMENTS FOR GERMINATION

From: 7.3 Germination

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig04.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig04.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig04.png" alt="THREE REQUIREMENTS FOR GERMINATION"></figure>

Epigeal vs Hypogeal Germination

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EPIGEAL germination: HYPOGEAL germination

From: 7.3 Germination

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig05.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig05.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig05.png" alt="EPIGEAL germination: HYPOGEAL germination"></figure>

7.4 Seed Dormancy

Many seeds will not germinate immediately even given ideal conditions — they are dormant. This is an evolved survival strategy.

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WHY DORMANCY EXISTS

From: 7.4 Seed Dormancy

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig06.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig06.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig06.png" alt="WHY DORMANCY EXISTS"></figure>

7.5 What is a Fruit?

Botanically, a fruit is a mature ovary (and sometimes associated tissues) that contains seeds. This is much broader than the common definition.

BOTANICAL FRUIT:
  Any mature ovary = fruit
  
  This means:
  Tomato = fruit ✓ (mature ovary, seeds inside)
  Cucumber = fruit ✓
  Squash = fruit ✓
  Corn kernel = fruit ✓ (caryopsis)
  Pea pod = fruit ✓ (legume)
  Wheat grain = fruit ✓
  Sunflower "seed" = fruit ✓ (achene — the hull is
                              the ovary wall)
  
  Strawberry = NOT botanically a true fruit
  (fleshy part is the receptacle — the achenes
   on the surface are the true fruits)
  
  In horticulture and cooking:
  "Vegetable" = savory plant part we eat
  "Fruit" = sweet plant part we eat
  These categories don't match botany at all

7.6 Fruit Types

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FRUIT CLASSIFICATION

From: 7.6 Fruit Types

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig07.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig07.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig07.png" alt="FRUIT CLASSIFICATION"></figure>

7.7 Seed Dispersal

Dispersal moves offspring away from the parent — reducing competition and colonizing new areas.

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DISPERSAL STRATEGIES

From: 7.7 Seed Dispersal

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig08.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig08.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig08.png" alt="DISPERSAL STRATEGIES"></figure>

Chapter Summary

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SEED = embryo + endosperm + seed coat

From: Chapter Summary

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig09.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig09.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig09.png" alt="SEED = embryo + endosperm + seed coat"></figure>

📝 Interactive Quiz
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Part A — True or False

1. A seed contains an embryo, stored food, and a seed coat.

2. The cotyledon is the embryonic root.

3. Monocots have two cotyledons; dicots have one.

4. Seed dormancy is always caused by a hard seed coat.

5. Scarification breaks seed dormancy by scratching or abrading the seed coat.

6. Stratification mimics winter cold to break dormancy.

7. A fruit is always sweet and edible by humans.

8. Botanically, a tomato is a fruit.

9. A grain is a type of dry fruit where the seed coat fuses with the fruit wall.

10. Legumes are pods (fruit) in the bean family.

11. Wind-dispersed seeds often have wings or tufts of hair.

12. Animal-dispersed seeds are always eaten and excreted.

13. The hilum is the scar on a seed where it was attached to the ovary wall.

14. All seeds need light to germinate.

15. Imbibition is the absorption of water that triggers germination.

16. A drupe has a fleshy outer layer and a hard inner pit (stone).

17. The radicle is the first structure to emerge from a germinating seed.

18. Seeds can be viable for centuries under the right storage conditions.

19. Recalcitrant seeds cannot be dried and stored for long periods.

20. A berry (botanically) always contains many seeds.

Part B — Short Answer

1. Describe the three main parts of a seed and the function of each.

2. What is seed dormancy and why has it evolved?

3. Describe the difference between physical and physiological dormancy.

4. What is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?

5. Describe five fruit types and give an example of each.

6. What are the four main seed dispersal mechanisms? Give an example of each.

7. What is germination and what conditions trigger it?

8. What is a cotyledon and how does it differ between monocots and dicots?

9. Why are recalcitrant seeds difficult to store?

10. What does seed viability mean and what affects it?

Part C — Fill in the Blank

1. The embryonic root inside a seed is called the .

2. The embryonic shoot inside a seed is called the .

3. The seed coat that protects the embryo is called the .

4. The stored food supply in a seed is the .

5. The process of a seed absorbing water to begin germination is .

6. Scratching a hard seed coat to allow water entry is called .

7. Exposing seeds to cold moist conditions to break dormancy is called .

8. A fruit derived from a single flower with a fleshy outer layer and stony pit is a .

9. A dry fruit where seed coat and fruit wall are fused (like wheat) is a .

Part D — Practical Exercises

Complete in the field. Check each off as you go.

1. Seed Dissection: Soak a large bean seed overnight. Carefully open it and identify: seed coat, cotyledons, embryonic root (radicle), embryonic shoot (plumule). Sketch and label.

2. Germination Rate Test: Place 10 seeds of the same type on a damp paper towel. Check daily for 10 days. Calculate germination percentage. What factors could you change to improve it?

3. Fruit Types Survey: Collect 10 foods from your kitchen/garden. Classify each botanically: berry, drupe, pome, legume, grain, capsule, nut, or aggregate fruit. Note which of your "vegetables" are actually fruits.

4. Seed Dispersal Walk: On your property, collect 20 seeds from different plants. Sort them by dispersal mechanism: wind, animal (external attachment), animal (edible), gravity, explosive. Photograph each type.

5. Dormancy Testing: Collect seeds from a native plant. Test germination immediately after harvest. Then cold stratify half in moist paper towel in refrigerator for 6-8 weeks. Compare germination rates.

0 / 39 answered correctly

Practice Exercises

  1. You collect seeds from a native Texas oak in October. You plant them immediately and nothing germinates. What might they need?
  2. Why do some legume seeds (like bluebonnets or mesquite) need scarification before they will germinate?
  3. Is a corn kernel a fruit or a seed? Explain.
  4. Why did plants evolve to make sweet, colorful fruit?
  5. You want to germinate lettuce seeds in summer (high temp). The packet says germination is 65-75°F and your soil is 95°F. What can you do?
  6. Squirrels bury acorns and forget some of them. How does this behavior benefit the oak tree?

Next Chapter → Photosynthesis and Respiration

Connections to Other Topics

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→ C01 Ch06: Flowers — pollination and fertilization that produce seeds

From: Connections to Other Topics

Image file: ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig10.png

Save image as ../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig10.png in this folder, then replace this block with:
<figure><img src="../../../images/s01-foundation/c01-botany-basics/ch07/c01-botany-basics_ch07_seeds_and_fruit_fig10.png" alt="→ C01 Ch06: Flowers — pollination and fertilization that produce seeds"></figure>

Next Chapter → Photosynthesis and Respiration

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