Every plant goes through a cycle, from non-flowering ferns and mosses through flowering plants with pollination, fertilization and seed production.
Each tree starts life as a seed packed full of everything it needs to germinate into an adult plant and flourish in its environment. Once germinated, these seeds can then be dispersed via various means to a location with suitable environmental conditions for them to develop into new trees.
Seeds
Seeds of plants contain embryonic plant cells enclosed within an outer coating and also store food for their embryo. A seed’s ability to germinate depends on having access to water, oxygen and heat as well as having suitable soil type conditions available – when these conditions come together then its germinating process begins.
As soon as a seed finds an ideal environment, it begins growing roots and shoots, ultimately developing into an embryo that later develops into a seedling – which is then known as photosynthetic plant that produces food on its own through photosynthesis. Meanwhile, its leaves take in nutrients and water from soil through photosynthesis process.
Seeds come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some seeds feature fleshy appendages designed to lure animal dispersers while others feature hooks or barbs designed to attach themselves to fur, feathers or wings. Others float so that they can be transported long distances; and many banana seeds contain fiber coatings which allow them to glide effortlessly as they fall apart into dust clouds.
Some seeds require special techniques in order to break their physiological dormancy, such as stratification. This involves immersing them in moisture before being exposed to either cold, or sometimes hot temperatures that disrupt chemical bonds holding their embryo in dormancy and stimulate its development. It’s a popular practice among seedless plants such as Lupine that belong to the bean/pea family (Fabaceae). Molecular studies have demonstrated that any damage accumulated during dormancy does not interfere with most seeds germinating successfully.
Germination
Germination is the initial stage in a plant’s life cycle. Seeds contain embryonic forms of plants in a protective outer shell, and must find suitable conditions in which to start growing. Water absorption begins the germination process by swelling and softening its outer shell; enzymes then convert food stored within to energy for growth; an embryonic root (radicle) breaks through and grows downward into soil before sprouting upward toward sunlight via photosynthesis.
Plant seeds are dispersed when they’re ready to spread to new areas for new plants to germinate and take root, typically via wind, moving water or animals carrying or dropping the seeds in different places. Some species even feature seed pods designed specifically to glide through the air and be distributed far distances away.
As a seedling develops and matures it will produce flowers which will then be pollinated by other plants or insects, fertilising its seed and starting a new lifecycle for itself. Once full maturity has been reached then that same seed will produce its own seeds to restart this cycle once again.
Seedling
Seeds contain the embryo of a new plant and require water, sunlight, and warmth for proper development. When conditions are favorable, seeds germinate into seedlings that eventually spread by wind, water, animals or other means until their needs have been fulfilled by falling onto soil that meets all their criteria.
Once a seed lands in its designated environment, its taproot will extend down into the soil to anchor itself and absorb moisture before its shoot moves upward toward light to form its first leaves – this tiny plant with only its initial leaves being known as a seedling.
Once seedlings emerge from their pods, they rapidly increase in size. This stage is known as the vegetative stage; at this stage the plant focuses on increasing roots, stems and leaves so as to capture sunlight energy for photosynthesis.
Seedlings produce flowers, which allow a plant to reproduce itself. Male and female flowers combining through pollination create seeds for future cycles of growth – this cycle known as alternation of generations lifecycle is common across most plant species.
Mature Plant
Plants grow into mature adults that produce seeds as part of the life cycle, keeping a species of plant alive over time.
Germination results in the formation of a seedling which eventually develops into an adult plant with distinct root and shoot systems, consisting of stems and leaves. This stage in its lifecycle marks when it grows bigger and stronger.
After plants reach the vegetative stage, they become ready to reproduce by producing flowers. Flowers signal this transition into their reproductive phase of a plant’s life cycle; flowers produce seeds via male and female organs known as stamens and carpels which contain stamens with pollen grains for pollination while carpels contain ovules which need fertilization by pollen grains from stamens or stigmas coming together to form fertilization bonds that reach out and fertilize these ovules containing ovules containing ovules ovules through fertilisation when both parts connect together – this process takes place via pollen grains reaching carpels/stamens/carpels unification process that sees stamens/carpels coming together from vegetative stage to its reproductive stage life cycle life cycle cycle and produces new seeds which need fertilisation via pollen grains/carpels/carpels which then connect together; this allows pollen grains reaching these ovules by means of pollination which allows pollen grains reaching them via fertilization which occurs via pollination achieved when stamens/carpels combine, or when pollen grains are spread through fertilization by means of pollination by way of stamens/carpels uniting to achieve fertilisation, when pollen/carpels/carpels/carpels/carpels with carpels/carpels to achieve fertilization process when stamens/carpels interaction, then connecting via stamen/carpels/carpels/carpels reaching each carpel/carpels combining when stamens/carpels/carpels join together combining when carpels/carpels/carpels combined by their respective stamen/carpels connecting out or carpels/carpels/carpels unite/carpels, carpels. Carpels uniting into carpels or combine thus reaching/carpel/ovule/ovule/carpel/opel/ovule and carpel/ ovule/ovule combination together creating fertilization then reach/oval/o ola then uni (=o-carpel combination etc…, depending on). Carpel then for pollin os then reaching O containing O containing O olate/od…etc together in which then goes onto O vaginala contains O ola which then together = pollin/. Carpel/o which produce pollen grains are reached so pollen/or ( depending upon… or carpel combination… then fertilisation occurs by combination or otherwise together/o). Fermented then fertilization with stigmas = seeds etc, producing seed production which then finally reach it’s that contains)…. then finally making Ovs union/ pollen then forms seed! or just need fertilization)….). OVO.. etc o containing O va /carpel = fertilized O Vulla is achieved o /Carpel then, depending on carpel then
Once fertilized, seeds are deposited into the ovary of a flower’s flower stem where they transform into fruit in some plants. After being dispersed through wind, water or animals to various locations where germination will start again, depending on local climate, environmental factors and average lifespan for that specific type of plant, plants may reach different sizes over time depending on these variables.
Flowers
Flowers are where plants produce new seeds. Flowers grow from flower buds that are often brightly-colored and fragrant; male parts (called stamens) produce small grains of pollen that need to reach female parts ( called pistil) of similar species flowers in order to fertilize and combine with female gametes in the ovules, known as fertilization.
Fertilization may result in successful flower development into fruit that contains seeds which will either be consumed by animals or spread with wind currents – as has happened countless times with wishes made on dandelions!
As plants develop, they produce energy through photosynthesis – the process in which chloroplasts in a flower’s leaves convert water, sunlight and carbon dioxide into sugars that the plant uses as energy to grow. Over time, as the roots spread out and stems rise higher so their leaves can collect more sunlight and water; larger petals appear on some blooms to attract pollinators while all have stems and pedicel supports to support it all.
Fruits
At this stage, plants focus their energy on reproduction. Flowers blossom to attract pollinators and produce seeds – embryonic plants which will develop into flowering plants when pollen falls on them from “male” parts of a plant and fertilize “female” parts to create new flowering plants. Flowers then transform into fruits to protect their seeds before being dispersed into different locations.
Fruits come in all forms and sizes, each designed to attract animals that will disseminate its seeds through wind or waves.
Germination processes depend on both the plant type and environment. A tropical seed must be kept warm with sufficient humidity in order to germinate properly.
Contrary to typical life cycle analyses, this research investigates the environmental impacts of melons, apples and bananas at their product level rather than by country of origin or farming practices to estimate their environmental footprint. Figure 20 compares their impacts with similar fruits and vegetables.
Melons and apples had the lowest impacts, followed by bananas, avocados and strawberries. Mangoes had the greatest environmental impacts due to trichloromethane production in greenhouses; transport and retail storage at retail were major contributors as were refrigerated transport routes for mangoes, pineapples and bananas (refrigeration occurs over long distances). These results are in line with previous studies.