germinate

(verb)

to sprout or produce buds

Related Terms

  • photosynthesis
  • nutrient

Examples of germinate in the following topics:

  • Development of the Seed

    • This tissue becomes the food the young plant will consume until the roots have developed after germination.
    • Upon germination, enzymes are secreted by the aleurone, a single layer of cells just inside the seed coat that surrounds the endosperm and embryo.
    • Upon germination in dicot seeds, the epicotyl is shaped like a hook with the plumule pointing downwards; this plumule hook persists as long as germination proceeds in the dark.
    • As the seed germinates, the primary root emerges, protected by the root-tip covering: the coleorhiza.
    • Upon a return to optimal conditions, seed germination takes place.
  • Fruit and Seed Dispersal

    • Seeds contained within fruits need to be dispersed far from the mother plant so that they may find favorable and less-competitive conditions in which to germinate and grow.
    • Coconuts are well known for their ability to float on water to reach land where they can germinate.
    • Some animals, such as squirrels, bury seed-containing fruits for later use; if the squirrel does not find its stash of fruit, and if conditions are favorable, the seeds germinate.
    • Dormant seeds can wait months, years, or even decades for the proper conditions for germination and propagation of the species.
  • Abscisic Acid, Ethylene, and Nontraditional Hormones

    • ABA induces dormancy in seeds by blocking germination and promoting the synthesis of storage proteins.
    • Plants adapted to temperate climates require a long period of cold temperature before seeds germinate.
    • As the hormone gradually breaks down over winter, the seed is released from dormancy and germinates when conditions are favorable in spring.
    • Strigolactones promote seed germination in some species and inhibit lateral apical development in the absence of auxins.
    • Apical dominance, seed germination, gravitropism, and resistance to freezing are all positively influenced by hormones.
  • Mosses

    • The most familiar structure is the haploid gametophyte, which germinates from a haploid spore and forms first a protonema: usually, a tangle of single-celled filaments that hug the ground.
    • The alternation of generations cycle begins when the gametophyte germinates from a haploid spore and forms a protonema.
    • Spores released from the sporophyte germinate and produce gametophytes; the process begins again.
  • Double Fertilization in Plants

    • After pollen is deposited on the stigma, it must germinate and grow through the style to reach the ovule.
    • The germination of the pollen tube requires water, oxygen, and certain chemical signals.
    • Embryonic development is suspended after some time; growth resumes only when the seed germinates.
  • Zygomycota: The Conjugated Fungi

    • When spores land on a suitable substrate, they germinate and produce a new mycelium.
    • When the zygospore germinates, it undergoes meiosis and produces haploid spores, which will, in turn, grow into a new organism.
  • Plant Nutrition

    • First, seeds must germinate under the right conditions in the soil; therefore, temperature, moisture, and soil quality are important factors that play a role in germination and seedling development.
  • Protist Life Cycles and Habitats

    • If this occurs, the spores germinate to form amoeboid or flagellate haploid cells that can combine with each other and produce a diploid zygotic slime mold to complete the life cycle.
    • As with plasmodial slime molds, the spores are disseminated and can germinate if they land in a moist environment.
    • The sporangium forms haploid spores through meiosis, after which the spores disseminate, germinate, and begin the life cycle anew.
    • In aggregate form, some individuals contribute to the formation of a stalk, on top of which sits a fruiting body full of spores that disseminate and germinate in the proper moist environment.
  • The Phytochrome System and Red Light Response

    • For example, if lettuce seedlings germinated a centimeter under the soil surface, the seedling would exhaust its food resources and die before reaching the surface.
    • A seed will only germinate if exposed to light at the surface of the soil, causing Pr to be converted to Pfr, signaling the start of germination.
    • In the dark, phytochrome is in the inactive Pr form so the seed will not germinate.
  • Inorganic Nutrients and Other Factors

    • A fire will probably kill most vegetation, so a seedling that germinates after a fire is more likely to receive ample sunlight than one that germinates under normal conditions.
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