A plant does not need its seed once it has leaves.

A plant does not need its seed once it has leaves.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not sure
• D. Sometimes

Answer: (A)

Plants start life using energy stored in the seed to get germination underway. When the seedling develops leaves, it can perform photosynthesis, turning light into the sugars it needs to grow. Once these capabilities are in place and the seed’s nutrient reserves are used up, the plant no longer relies on the seed for energy. So the statement is true: the seed isn’t needed once leaves have formed and the plant can photosynthesize. In some species, the cotyledons may briefly contribute after germination, but the seed’s role as a nutrient source is finished once photosynthesis starts.

Plants start life using energy stored in the seed to get germination underway. When the seedling develops leaves, it can perform photosynthesis, turning light into the sugars it needs to grow. Once these capabilities are in place and the seed’s nutrient reserves are used up, the plant no longer relies on the seed for energy. So the statement is true: the seed isn’t needed once leaves have formed and the plant can photosynthesize. In some species, the cotyledons may briefly contribute after germination, but the seed’s role as a nutrient source is finished once photosynthesis starts.