06. Botany: wheat, triticum, germ
Electron microscopy

Front view of a germinating grain of wheat (Triticum sp.). The majority of the seed comprises a store of starch surrounded by a seed coat (yellow). This starch provides the embryo plant with the necessary energy for germination. Germination may be triggered by humidity, temperature or other factors.
Three root radicle (white) emerge from the seed coat and begin to grow down into the soil. The leaf shoot (green) that grows to the surface is surrounded by a protective sheath called the coleoptile. Wheat is an important food crop. Coloured scanning electron micrograph, Magnification: x17.