Essay On Germination

1056 Words5 Pages

Germination is the early stage of growth of a plant from a seed through the uptake of carbon dioxide. An indication that germination has occurred is through the penetration of the radicle through the structures around the embryo (Bewley, 1055). There are multiple factors that affect seed germination, one of which is water. Water is necessary for seed germination to occur because water rehydrates the seed, enabling it to grow. Without water, the seed can remain dormant. Dormancy occurs when seeds do not germinate, even when placed in the right conditions, in order for seeds to disperse and avoid germination at an unwanted period of time (Allott, Mindorff, 435). Some seeds contain hormones that inhibit germination, and water is necessary to …show more content…

Temperature is also a major factor that affects germination because it is directly related to the movement of cells within the plant, and therefore kinetic energy. If the temperature is too low, enzymatic activity will occur at a slower rate while when the temperature is too high, the enzymes in the seed denature. Hormones also play a vital role in seed germination. Synthesis of the plant hormone gibberellin stimulates mitosis and cell division in the embryo. In starchy seeds, gibberellin also stimulates the production of amylase. Lastly, a seed’s exposure to light affects germination. Therefore, by controlling the amount of light exposure, amount of oxygen, and amount of liquid provided to the seed, the effects of the sulfuric acid to seed germination can be observed. I decided to experiment on the effects of acid rain on seed germination because in my chemistry class we discussed about environmental effects of acid deposition, one of which is it directly affects plants so, I wanted to explore to what extent the acid can affect the seed germination. Therefore, I modified the process of formation of acid rain and its

More about Essay On Germination

Open Document