Five : Science

Growing Plants





Introduction

Plant is very important for us and all other life forms. We cannot live without plants. Plants give lot of things, like food, oil, medicine, clothes, oxygen which we breathe in, etc. Our life depends on plants so we should grow more and more plants.

Plants have different parts. These are root, stem, leaves, branches, buds, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Flowers change into fruits. Fruits bear seeds. All seeds have a baby plant. Seeds help a plant to reproduce. Many plants are reproduced by roots, stem and leaves.

Growing plants from seeds

Fruits generally have seeds which produce new plants. Some fruits like mango, peach, plum, etc. have one seeds and some fruits like lemon, papaya, orange, watermelon, etc. have many seeds.

Seeds:

Seed Coat:

A seed has an outer covering. This outer covering of a seed is called seed coat. Seed coat protects the baby plant inside the seed. The seed coat has a tiny hole, called MICROPYLE, through which the seed gets water.

Cotyledons:

The swollen part of seed is called cotyledons. It store food for the baby plant.

Do all seeds grow into a new plant?

All seeds do not grow into new plant. Some seeds are destroyed by rain and wind. Some are eaten by birds and animals. And some seeds do not get proper water, air and sunlight to grow. For the growing of seeds into a plant right amount of water, air, sunlight and soil are essential.

Seedling or Baby plant:

A seed produces a baby plants. A baby plant is also known as seedling.

Germination:

The process by which a seed produces a baby plant or seedling is called germination.

Fig:1. - Germination1.

Steps of germination

(a) Seed gets water from soil and air, and heat from atmosphere.

(b) Seed coat breaks

(c) A baby plant emerges.

(d) The baby plant develops roots and a shoots.

(e) With the growth in size, baby plant develops leaves.

(f) The cotyledons shrink and disappear.

In early stage; a seed get food from cotyledons. After growth of seedling, it gets its food from soil with the help of root. The seedling absorbs water and nutrients from the soil with the help of its roots. After that seedling develops leaves and grows into a plant. Air reaches to the seed through pores in the soil. So, soil is very important for the plants.

Should many seeds be sown very close

By sowing many seeds too close, all of seeds will not grow properly. Because of too close to one another, seeds will not get water, air and space properly as they required. Due to this many of them would die.

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