Germination

• Germination


  • Process by which a seed emerges from a period of dormancy and begins to sprout
• Requirements for germination

  • Oxygen (for aerobic respiration)
  • Water (to metabolically activate the seed)
  • Temperature (for optimal function of enzymes)
  • pH (for optimal function of enzymes)
• Additional conditions for germination

  • Fire (some seeds will only sprout after exposure to intense heat)
  • Freezing (some seeds will only sprout after periods of intense cold)
  • Digestion (some seeds require prior animal digestion to erode the seed coat)
  • Washing (some seeds may be covered with inhibitors and will only sprout after being washed to remove the inhibitors)
  • Scarification (seeds are more likely to germinate if the seed coat is weakened from physical damage)
• Independent variable


  Factor that can be manipulated in an experiment to test its effect on germination
• Dependent variable

  Germination rate (measured by the rate of seed growth over a set period of time)
• Experiments can be developed using any of the factors affecting germination as an independent variable