Tag: seeds - structure and germination

Seeds that possess a special food storage tissue called as the endosperm are said to be albuminous and those which have no such tissue for storage are said to be exalbuminous or non-endospermic. In albuminous seeds, food is being stored in endosperm the cotyledons are small and thin while on exalbuminous seeds cotyledon store up food and become thick and fleshy. When germination of seed takes place then food is used by embryo whether it is stored in endosperm or in cotyledon. Epigeal germination implies that the cotyledons are pushed above ground. The hypocotyl (part of the stem below the cotyledon) grows, while the epicotyl (part of the stem above the cotyledon) stays the same length. In this way, the hypocotyl pushes the cotyledon upward. Hypogeal germination implies that the cotyledons stay below the ground. The epicotyl grows, while the hypocotyl stays the same length. In this way, the epicotyl pushes the plumule above the ground. 

Rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) is a slender, perennial climber, that twines around trees, shrubs, and hedges. It is a legume with alternate compound leaves, 2 to 5 inches long, with 5 to 15 pairs of oblong leaflets. 

The edible parts of the seeds mentioned are as follows,
French Bean- cotyledons, Coconut - endosperm, testa, cotyledon and embryo
cashew nut - cotyledon, litchi - juicy aril,
groundnut - seeds, pomegranate - testa,
walnut - cotyledons, tamarind - mesocarp,
Therefore, the correct answer is option A.

The aleurone cells are characterized by the presence of thick walls and non-vacuolated cytoplasm interconnected by plasmodesmata. The most prominent organelles of these cells are aleurone grains, followed by sphaerosomes. Aleurone grains are surrounded by a single unit membrane which is closely associated with sphaerosomes. Aleurone grains possess two kinds of inclusion, besides the ground substance: (i) Globoids, present within the globoidal cavities, contain phytic and lipids; (ii) Protein-carbohydrate bodies, which are $1-1.5\mu$m in diameter. The ground substance also contains high concentration of protein, but it is less than that in the protein-carbohydrate bodies.

Cypsela Is a simple one seeded fruit which has pappus. This is a dry fruit which is very tiny belonging to the family Asteraceae and also has an additional silken, furry, hairy structure called as the pappus. This plays an important role in seed dispersal. 
Achene is also a dry fruit but does not belong to asteraceae, and lacks pappus. 
A nut is much bigger in size unlike the cypsella and lacks pappus, though it is a dry fruit.
As regma fruit belongs to euphorbiaceae and cypsella belongs to Asteraceae.
Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Cotton taken for commercial purpose is a soft, fluffy staple fibre growing in a boll from trichomes on the seed coat of the plants of the genus Gossypium  of the family Malvaceae. The cotton fibre is pure cellulose and under natural conditions, these bolls tend to increase the dispersal of the seeds.
Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Seeds are the dispersal and propagation units of the all seed plants which includes gymnosperms and angiosperms. Seeds which develop from an ovule after fertilization consists of a coat or testa that encloses an embryo made up of a plumule, a radicle and one or two cotyledons.
The testa which needs to split open by the radicle for germination to proceed  protects the seed from fungi, bacteria and insects. The cotyledons which are fleshy in groundnut are edible and in case of pomegranate, the fleshy testa is edible.
Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Husk fiber 'Coir of commerce' is obtained from the mesocarp of Coconut (Cocos nucifera).

-Largest fruit, as well as the largest seed, is of Lodoicea maldivica (double coconut, weight is 18 Kgs.)

1. Endosperm the white fleshy part commonly called as meat is the edible part of the coconut.
   
2. Cotyledons are the edible part in walnut and cashew nuts.
3. Mesocarp is the edible part of mango.
4. Aril is the edible part of litchi.
5. Cotyledon and testa are edible in groundnut and pomegranate.