The Tiny Seed

Listen to the Story and then read more information about the topic.

The Tiny Seed

How a Bean Seed Grows

The root of the baby plant
pushes through the seed coat, down into the soil, and begins to gather water and
nutrients.

The stem of the baby plant curls into a hook
and then
ZING!!!!


It straightens up, pushing
itself above the ground and pulling the seed leaves (cotyledons) with it.


Once the stem is above ground, true leaves appear and begin to make
food. The lunchbox food is no longer needed and the cotyledons fall off. If
everything goes right, the true leaves begin making food to nourish the whole
plant.The scientific name for seed-sprouting is GERMINATION.

A seed might look dead, but it isn't. Seeds rest quietly until all things are right for it to begin "germination"
which means "begins to grow."
Timing is everything.

When conditions are right
 ...the first step in a seed’s
         growth can
begin...
           taking in water.


As water is taken in, the
seed swells bigger and bigger until the coat splits apart.
Air can then get
to the seed. The oxygen in the air helps the baby plant burn the food packed
inside the seed.
Burning the food produces energy. The baby plant uses the
energy to grow.

The root begins to grow downward and the baby stem begins
to curl upward.
Soon the baby plant isn't a baby anymore.

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Plants, like people and animals,
need "food"
to provide
energy.
People and animals get their
food by eating
it.
Plants
make their
own food by using air,
water and energy
from
the
sun.
Energy from the sun
heats
the air
and the
ground.

Different types of seeds
need
different
temperatures to
"start to grow"
or
"germinate."

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