Imbibition is the thirsty sip of water that wakes the seed. Alpha-amylase is the enzyme that cuts the starchy rations in the endosperm, turning it into sugar for the journey. The radicle is the first brave root, the emergence that commits the seed to the world.
In our lab, we tinker with the genes for these very things to break dormancy in rice seeds. But watching my father's soaked maize seeds in our field, I know our engineered radicle sometimes lacks the stubborn will of the one that pushes through real clay.
#food
Jump in to reply — no account needed.