Seed Anatomy

Plants Lesson 3

Parts of a Seed

Parts of a Seed

• If you look carefully at a seed, you will notice three main parts.

Seed Coat

• The first part of the seed is called the seed coat. The seed coat protects the seed just like a winter coat protects you from cold weather.

• The seed coat is all around the outside of the seed.

Embryo

• The second part of the seed is called the embryo.

• The embryo is a starter for the plant. If the conditions are right for the seed to grow, the embryo activates and begins germination. That means it will begin to grow into a plant!

Food Storage

• A seed carries the food it needs for a new plant to grow. This is a supply of nutrients for the embryo and is made up of mostly starches.

Inside a Seed

This is what the inside of a bean seed looks like when it is opened up. You can see the embryo at the top. This is the part that will begin to grow into a plant if the conditions are right.

Learn more about seeds!

Head over to YouTube to watch a short video about seeds! https://youtu.be/UFmBKpQxf-U