NAME____________________

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 1: WORKSHEET 1

INSTRUCTIONS:
TYPE YOUR ANSWERS BELOW EACH QUESTION (If not typed, -2; if
questions not included, -1). IN RESPONSE TO QUESTION# 2, DRAW THE
SEED YOURSELF!
YOU MUST LIST ALL OF YOUR REFERENCES AT THE END of the
assignment (1 PT).
1. What is a seed? Give a nice, full biological explanation of a seed. State how a
seed is produced. Remember to cite your source (1 pt).
- A seed is formed when a male a female gamete combine and go through the
process of fertilization.
2. Draw a diagram of a seed (or one that is in the process of germinating) that
includes the following features labeled: seed coat, cotyledons, endosperm,
embryo, hypocotyl, radicle (1 pt if you draw it yourself and its correct).

3. Look up the following terms and define them: endosperm, cotyledons, radicle,
hypocotyls (1 pt).
- Endosperm: Provides the seed with nourishment
- Cotyledons: First leaf of seedling
- Radicle: The part of the plant embryo that develops into the primary root
- Hypocotyls: The main plant stem
4. What happens when a seed germinates? Answer this question using vocabulary
from your seed diagram (1 pt).
- After providing the embryo seed with water and sunlight, the seed coat will
absorb the water and then crack eventually. After the coat splits, the hypocotyl
begins to grow into the soil (for water). Now the endosperm provides the seed
with nourishment as the stem begins to grow upward toward light. Below
ground the radicle begins to show. After the hypocotyl is ramificated, it lifts
up the new cotyledons and becomes the sprout we know.
5. Suggest two questions about seed germination that your group could test. Your
questions should be narrow and focused. They should propose a variable you
could use to determine its effect on seed germination (1 pt).

NAME____________________

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 1: WORKSHEET 1

-

Does the amount of sunlight matter when trying to first germinate an embryo
seed?
Can the embryo seed germinate normally in a colder temperature
environment?

6. Pick one of your questions. How will you test this question? Think about (2
points):
a.
b.
c.
d.
-

the seeds (how many, what type)

experimental conditions you will need,
the length of time you will let the experiment run
the outcome that you will measure.

We would have to test 20 seeds of 2 types placed under a controlled temp. 10

would be under a normal lamp for 24 hrs, and the other 10 would be under the
light for only 16 hrs. We would then use the length of the radicle, to determine
whether the seed has germinated or not.

7. In the experiment described in #6, what is your experimental variable

(independent variable)? The dependent variable is the number of seeds that
germinate. If you do not remember what an independent variable is, refer to lab 1
or look up the term (0.5 pt).
8.

Independent variable: Light

Collect four different types of seeds. Every member of your group must do this on his or her own. Try to
bring in seeds that are different from the other members of your group. You will need 5-6 seeds of each type
(this means that single large seeds such as those produced by peaches, avocados or mangos are not suitable).
BRING THEM TO CLASS. Look through your cupboards; examine the food you eat, look on plants
outdoors. You do not need to purchase seeds. They are plentiful in food and outdoors! For each seed type
you find, answer question 9 (1 pt).

9. What species is it? Give the common name and look up the species name. Write
them correctly. (To write a species name correctly, the genus name is always
capitalized and the species name is always in lower-case. The two words are
separate and italicized, like this: Phaseolus vulgaris; 0.5 pt).
-

Southern Flax seed, Linum australe. A Heller

10. Provide a list of references (1 pt).

-

http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4615-1783-2_2
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cotyledon
http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/earlygrowth/germination/ge
rm.html
https://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?
source=display&classid=LINUM