Flowering plants undergo sexual reproduction to produce seeds, which are dispersed to colonise new areas.
Name the structure located within the ovary of a flower that contains the female gamete and develops into a seed after fertilisation.
Explain how a germinating seed is able to grow and survive before its first photosynthetic leaves emerge above the soil.
A student investigates the environmental conditions required for mung bean (Vigna radiata) seeds to undergo germination.
They prepare four experimental tubes (W, X, Y, and Z) under different conditions, as summarised in the table below:
| Tube | Conditions |
|---|---|
| W | Distilled water, oxygen, kept at 2∘C2^\circ\text{C}2∘C |
| X | Distilled water, oxygen, kept at 25∘C25^\circ\text{C}25∘C |
| Y | No water (dry conditions), oxygen, kept at 25∘C25^\circ\text{C}25∘C |
| Z | Boiled, cooled distilled water (no oxygen), covered with a layer of oil, kept at 25∘C25^\circ\text{C}25∘C |
Suggest one clear physical change that can be observed to determine that a seed has successfully germinated.
Identify which tube of seeds is likely to germinate first, and explain your reasoning.
