Question

Germination is the process by which a seed grows to form a new plant. A student performs an experiment with germinating plant seeds and plant seeds that have been boiled in hot water. The image below shows the experimental setup. Diagram Description automatically generated The student keeps the setup undisturbed for one week and observes that the temperature increased in the container with germinating seeds, but the container with boiled seeds did not change in temperature. What does the experiment measure?

Answer 1

The student's experiment measures the metabolic activity during seed germination by observing temperature changes, indicating that germinating seeds generate heat unlike boiled seeds which show no metabolic activity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's experiment measures the metabolic activity associated with seed germination. Metabolic activity generates heat, which is why there was an increase in temperature in the container with germinating seeds. The seeds that were boiled likely had their embryonic tissues destroyed, which is why they showed no increase in temperature, indicating a lack of metabolic activity and hence no germination.

Germination involves the seed breaking dormancy and beginning the growth process, which includes cell division and cell enlargement, particularly in the radicle—the first embryonic organ to emerge from the seed coat. Factors such as moisture, temperature, and light can influence seed germination. The heat produced is a natural byproduct of the increased cellular respiration necessary to fuel the growth of the new plant from the embryo within the seed.