In angiosperms, the endosperm is a tissue that surrounds and feeds the embryo of the seed. Angiosperms are flowering plants that produce seeds that are encased within a fruit. The other plant classification is gymnosperms, which refers to plants that lack flowers or fruits but have seeds developed on the leaf surface. Fruits, grains, vegetables, and flowers are all angiosperms.
Endosperm
The seed coat, endosperm, and embryo are the three separate sections of the seed in angiosperms. The seed coat is the outer coating of the embryo that protects it from physical and microbiological harm.
The embryo is the seed’s immature fertilized ovule, which will germinate and generate a seedling. Angiosperms have a unique double fertilization event that starts the development of the embryo and endosperm. The term “double fertilization” refers to the fusion of a sperm with an egg as well as the fusion of a sperm with two polar nuclei. Angiosperm anatomy includes the following:
Stamen
The reproductive organ of a flower that generates pollen is the stamen.
Flower
The reproductive system of flowering plants allows sperm and egg to join together.
Carpel
The ovary, stigma, and style make up the female reproductive organ of the flower, known as the carpel.
Pollen
Pollen is produced in the stamen and contains pollen grains as well as sperm cells that fertilize the eggs.
Function of Endosperm
The endosperm performs three functions. It is important for giving nutrients for embryonic growth, controlling the embryo’s growth rate during germination and seed formation, and providing some protection for the embryo.
The most important role in plants, however, is as a food supply for newborn plants. The endosperm provides nourishment to the embryo in the form of starch, proteins, and lipids.
Humans and other animals benefit from endosperm because it contains seed reserves, which are a renewable source of food and the primary feed for livestock. The grains of cereal crops, for example, are largely endosperm, with rice, wheat, and corn being the three most important human food crops on the planet. The wheat endosperm is processed into flour, which is used to make bread and other items.
Types of Endosperms
Angiosperms have three types of endosperms, which are categorized based on the timing of cell wall production and vary by plant species. The nuclear, cellular, and helobial endosperms are among them. The sperm nucleus fuses with the polar nuclei to generate the triploid main endosperm nucleus (which has three homologous sets of chromosomes). The endosperm tissue is formed by fast mitotic divisions of the main endosperm nucleus.
Nuclear
Primary endosperm nuclear division and subsequent nuclear divisions do not occur at the same time as cell wall formation in nuclear endosperms. After these free-nuclear divisions, either the cell wall is created or the nuclei remain free in the cytoplasm.
Cellular
Nuclear divisions and cell wall development occur simultaneously in cellular endosperms, and the endosperm has a cellular shape from the beginning.
Helobial
Monocotyledons, which are grass or grass-like plants with embryos bearing a single cotyledon, have a lot of helobial endosperms (seed leaf).
The cell wall is placed between the first two nuclei in this type of endosperm formation, and development occurs either along with the nuclear or cellular pattern on each side. As a result, helobial endosperm development is a hybrid of nuclear and cellular types.
Conclusion
In angiosperms, the endosperm is a tissue that surrounds and feeds the embryo of the seed. Angiosperms are flowering plants that produce seeds that are encased within a fruit.
The seed coat, endosperm, and embryo are the three separate sections of the seed in angiosperms. The seed coat is the outer coating of the embryo that protects it from physical and microbiological harm.
The endosperm performs three functions. It is important for giving nutrients for embryonic growth, controlling the embryo’s growth rate during germination and seed formation, and providing some protection for the embryo.