278 FIRST YEAR COURSE IN GENERAL SCIENCE 



cell, to form a fertilized egg cell, is known as fertilization. 

 Pollination may occur without resulting in fertilization, but 

 fertilization never occurs without previous pollination. 



315. The Result of Fertilization. -Soon the fertilized egg 

 cell divides to form two cells and, after growth, these new 

 cells divide. This process of cell division is repeated until 

 an embryo, or baby plant, is formed within the ovule. At 



the same time, food is being 

 furnished by the plant which 

 bore the flower and is stored in 

 the ovule for the nourishment 

 of the young plant. The ovule 

 is now known as a seed. 



While the ovules in a bean 

 flower are developing into seeds, 

 the ovary elongates and becomes 

 FIG. 145. BUMBLE-BEE GOING the pod. Long before this, 

 INTO A FLOWER tne pe t a ls and stamens have 



Describe the way in which withered away and later the 



of e this e fltwer Ut " P " inati0n sepals also, until now nothing 



remains but the fruit, which 



consists of the ovary and the seeds. When the fruit is ripe, 

 the seeds easily become detached and drop out of the dry pod. 

 Examination of a bean seed shows on one edge an oval- 

 shaped scar made by its connection with the ovary. 



316. Structure of the Bean Seed. The seed coat is 

 easily stripped from a bean soaked in water over night. The 

 body within, called the embryo, is seen to consist of two 

 thickened halves, seed-leaves, filled with proteid and starchy 

 food. They could be tested for the starch by means of 

 iodine. The presence of proteid in the seed may be shown 

 by the orange color given to it on adding a drop of nitric 

 acid, followed by ammonia. 



A short, stubby, rod-like body is joined to the two seed- 

 leaves. From its free pointed end grows the root, and the 



