Seeds play a fundamental role in colonization of the environment by spermatophytes, and seeds harvested from crops are the main food source for human beings. Knowledge of seed biology is therefore important for both fundamental and applied issues. This review on seed biology illustrates the important progress made in the field of Arabidopsis seed research over the last decade. Access to 'omics'...

Seeds are a vital component of the world’s diet. Cereal grains alone, which comprise -90% of all cultivated seeds, contribute up to half of the global per capita energy intake. Not surprisingly then, seed biology is one of the most extensively researched areas in plant physiology. Even in relation to the topics reviewed here, a casual perusal of the Agricola database reveals that well over 5000...

Lysine, which is a limited amino acid in cereals, has a remarkably high content in buckwheat seed proteins. We have analyzed the pattern of 14C lysine incorporation into buckwheat seed polypeptides during the mid-maturation stage of seed development. Based on this approach, an 18 kDa polypeptide could be assigned as being lysine rich.

In Arabidopsis, rapid expansion of the coenocytic endosperm after fertilisation has been proposed to drive early seed growth, which is in turn constrained by the seed coat. This hypothesis implies physical heterogeneity between the endosperm and seed coat compartments during early seed development, which to date has not been demonstrated. Here, we combine tissue indentation with modelling to sh...

Cadmium (Cd) is extremely toxic metal and reduces plant growth. Therefore, study was conducted to evaluate the effect of various Cd levels 0, 5, 20, 50 and 80 mg L on seed germination and seedling growth of four wheat cultivars (Sehar-06, Fareed-06, Inqlab-91, Chakwal-50). Cadmium showed toxicity at 5 mg L in case of root and shoot growth whereas 20 mg L in case of seed germination and germinat...

Seed development is a complex process that requires coordinated integration of many genetic, metabolic, and physiological pathways and environmental cues. Different cell cycle types, such as asymmetric cell division, acytokinetic mitosis, mitotic cell division, and endoreduplication, frequently occur in sequential yet overlapping manner during the development of the embryo and the endosperm, se...

Flowering plants, like placental mammals, have an extensive maternal contribution toward progeny development. Plants are distinguished from animals by a genetically active haploid phase of growth and development between meiosis and fertilization, called the gametophyte. Flowering plants are further distinguished by the process of double fertilization that produces sister progeny, the endosperm ...

The seed coat is important for embryo protection, seed hydration, and dispersal. Seed coat composition is also of interest to the agricultural sector, since it impacts the nutritional value for humans and livestock alike. Although some seed coat genes have been identified, the developmental pathways controlling seed coat development are not completely elucidated, and a global genetic program as...

the study was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed priming on root growth of two barley cultivars (hordeum vulgare l.) under salinity stress was performed in phytogel. the treatments included two cultivars of barely (yusuf and maquie), levels of seed priming (control, hydro-priming and priming with 4.35 g l-1 of urea) and four levels of nacl salinity stress (0, 0.2, 0.3 m). the experiment w...