Hinglish

Conditions for Germination

Class 6 Science · Chapter 10: Living Creatures: Exploring their Characteristics · NCERT Curiosity section 10.2

Learn

Meher soaks some moong seeds overnight and keeps them on wet cotton. In two days, tiny white shoots peep out. The seed has germinated: it has started to grow into a new plant.

What do seeds need to germinate? Meher sets up four dishes, changing one thing at a time: dry cotton (no water), seeds under boiled-and-cooled water (no air), seeds in the fridge (cold), and one with water, air and warmth.

Only the last dish sprouts. Seeds need water, air and warmth to germinate. They do not need soil or light to start: they carry food stored inside them. After germinating, the young plant needs sunlight and soil to keep growing.

Explore: run Meher's experiment.

  1. Make the seeds sprout.
  2. Now take away only the air. Do they still sprout?
  3. Put the air back, but keep them cold.

Remember

  • Seeds need water, air and warmth to germinate.
  • Change one condition at a time to find out what is needed (a fair test).

Quick check

Which set of seeds will germinate?

  1. On moist cotton, open to air, in a warm room
  2. On dry cotton in a warm room
  3. Under boiled water in a warm room
  4. On moist cotton in the fridge
Answer

On moist cotton, open to air, in a warm room. Seeds need water, air and warmth together.

Think about it

Why do farmers sow seeds when the soil is moist and the weather is warm, and not in very cold, dry weather?

One answer

Seeds need water and warmth to germinate. In cold, dry weather they would not sprout and might rot or be eaten by birds.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.