Seed Germination Inquiry Lab1
Name:
Block:
Date:
Seed Germination Inquiry Lab
(adapted from- http://employees.csbsju.edu/SSAUPE/biol106/Labs/seed_germination.htm) Objectives: The purpose of this lab experience is to provide an opportunity to:
1. measure seed germination percentage and rate
2. learn the requirements for seed germination
3. study the effect of various treatments on seed germination
4. grow a plant to maturity
5. learn about a particular species of plant Introduction: A seed is essentially a baby in a suitcase carrying its lunch. "Baby" refers to the embryo, or immature plant, that will grow and develop into the seedling and ultimately the mature plant. The "suitcase" is the seed coat that surrounds the seeds and "lunch" refers to the nutritive source for the germinating seedling. The food for the germinating seedling may be stored in part of the embryo itself, such as the fleshy cotyledons of a bean seed, or it may take other forms including endosperm, which is a special starch-rich storage tissue that surrounds the embryo. It’s not easy to tell if a seed is “dead.” Only if it fails to germinate when provided the proper conditions and any dormancy mechanisms are broken can we consider a seed “dead.”
Seed companies typically test the germination of seeds before sale. The results of these tests, the germination percentage, are typically provided on a seed packet. Most crop seeds lose viability rapidly after a few years. However, a few long-lived seeds are known. For example, mustard seeds show good germination after even 50 years.
1. Species Selection/Research. Select a seed by: (1) examining the seeds available in the lab; (2) recovering your seeds from a commercially-available fruit; or (3) from a wild plant. Record as much data about the seeds as possible.
Common name: Scientific name: Family name: Source of seeds (commercial seed packet, etc)
2. Germination Percentage and Rate. Many different factors can affect the
Block:
Date:
Seed Germination Inquiry Lab
(adapted from- http://employees.csbsju.edu/SSAUPE/biol106/Labs/seed_germination.htm) Objectives: The purpose of this lab experience is to provide an opportunity to:
1. measure seed germination percentage and rate
2. learn the requirements for seed germination
3. study the effect of various treatments on seed germination
4. grow a plant to maturity
5. learn about a particular species of plant Introduction: A seed is essentially a baby in a suitcase carrying its lunch. "Baby" refers to the embryo, or immature plant, that will grow and develop into the seedling and ultimately the mature plant. The "suitcase" is the seed coat that surrounds the seeds and "lunch" refers to the nutritive source for the germinating seedling. The food for the germinating seedling may be stored in part of the embryo itself, such as the fleshy cotyledons of a bean seed, or it may take other forms including endosperm, which is a special starch-rich storage tissue that surrounds the embryo. It’s not easy to tell if a seed is “dead.” Only if it fails to germinate when provided the proper conditions and any dormancy mechanisms are broken can we consider a seed “dead.”
Seed companies typically test the germination of seeds before sale. The results of these tests, the germination percentage, are typically provided on a seed packet. Most crop seeds lose viability rapidly after a few years. However, a few long-lived seeds are known. For example, mustard seeds show good germination after even 50 years.
1. Species Selection/Research. Select a seed by: (1) examining the seeds available in the lab; (2) recovering your seeds from a commercially-available fruit; or (3) from a wild plant. Record as much data about the seeds as possible.
Common name: Scientific name: Family name: Source of seeds (commercial seed packet, etc)
2. Germination Percentage and Rate. Many different factors can affect the