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Why Do Plants Make Seeds?
No plant lives forever. Some plants live
for thousands of years, like giant redwood
trees. Others live for only a few months, like
the annual blanket flower. But each plant dies
when it gets old.
Because
organisms
die, every kind of
organism must
reproduce
. When plants
reproduce, they make new organisms just
like themselves. Peach trees make new peach
trees. Tomato plants make new tomato plants.
Watermelon plants make new watermelon
plants. Every kind of plant makes baby plants
to replace those that get old and die.
Seeds are the reproductive
structures
of
most plants. Every seed contains a baby plant,
called an
embryo
. The embryo in the seed is
in a
dormant
, or resting, stage. You can see the embryo if you are
careful. Soak a large seed in water overnight. Then carefully open the
two halves of the seed. The embryo will be stuck to one side of the seed.
Blanket flowers
Redwood trees
Embryo
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