Seed Germination

The cycle begins with the seed. The seed contains the embryo of the plant and energy storage molecules. The seed has a seed coat to protect it. Once the seed is exposed to water, the outer coat ruptures. Metabolic (chemical) reactions take place that restart the growth of embryo into a plant.

Seeds store food by the embryo in the form of a molecule called starch (a large carbohydrate that is constructed of long chains of glucose). All cells need glucose for cellular energy. The embryo needs to break these chains into glucose (a simple sugar), so it can use it as energy.

Enzymes: protein molecules that cause chemical reactions to proceed in living organisms

Certain enzymes in plants break down large starch molecules into individual glucose molecules.

There needs to be a way to see if starch was broken down. For this we use "Benedict's Solution." This solution changes color in the presence of glucose. If the solution doesn't change color, the starch wasn't broken down.