Questions: Seeds to Plants to Seeds

Question 1

A sunflower grew from one seed. The sunflower head now holds 1,000 seeds. Why does the plant make so many?

• A. Because the plant has extra energy it does not need
• B. Because most seeds will not survive — they might land in bad spots, get eaten, or not get enough water
• C. Because bigger numbers are better
• D. Because the plant is confused

Answer: (B)

Plants make many seeds because most will not survive to become new plants. Seeds might land on rock, get eaten by birds, dry out, or be washed away. By making hundreds or thousands of seeds, the plant increases the chance that at least a few will land in the right spot and grow into new plants.

Question 2

A plant that does not make seeds can still have offspring.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

For most plants, seeds are the way they produce the next generation. Without making seeds, the plant cannot create offspring, and when it dies, its line ends. Some plants can reproduce in other ways (like growing new plants from their roots), but seeds are the most common method.

Question 3

If you plant a seed from an apple and it grows into a tree, what kind of fruit will the tree make?

Model answer: The tree will make apples, because apple seeds grow into apple trees.

Seeds produce the same kind of plant that made them. Apple seeds make apple trees. Tomato seeds make tomato plants. Sunflower seeds make sunflowers. This is because the seed inherits traits from its parent plant, including what kind of plant it will be and what kind of fruit or flower it will produce.