Question

In general, light-sensitive germination is more pronounced in small seeds compared with germination of large seeds. Suggest a reason why.

Short answer

The small seed requires light for germination, but large seeds are grown deeper or underground than small seeds. The large seed continues to grow with enough energy from their stored food reserve.

Step-by-step solution

Seed

The small embryonic plant that comprises an embryo covered in the fruits of the flowering plant is called the seed. The two distinct seed types are monocotyledonous (exalbuminous and albuminous) and dicotyledonous (albuminous and exalbuminous).

Examples of seeds are common pea, walnut, wheat, lentil, peanut, soybean, rice, maize, and barley. The different parts of the seed are embryo, seed coat, radical, hilum, plumule, and cotyledon. Various functions of seed are reproduction, food storage, and protection and development of the embryo.

Germination

The seed development process in which a plant develops when the seed enclosing embryo starts to sprout and grows under favorable conditions like sunlight and temperature is called germination.

The three different germination types are vivipary, hypogeal, and epigeal germinations.

Light-sensitive germination

The small seeds are grown very close to the soil surface or less deep than the large seed.

The large seed is not concerned with the light condition, including photosynthesis, because these seeds can germinate with access to their large food reserve of nutrients.