Science · Life cycles
Plant life cycles
Seed → seedling → adult → seed.
What is a life cycle?
Every living thing grows and changes during its life. A life cycle shows all the different stages from birth to death. Plants have a life cycle that keeps repeating. Each new plant starts as a seed and eventually makes new seeds.
From seed to seedling
A seed contains a tiny baby plant inside a protective coat. When a seed gets water, warmth and air, it starts to grow. This is called germination. A small root pushes down into the soil. Then a shoot grows up towards the light. We call this young plant a seedling.
Growing into an adult plant
The seedling keeps growing bigger and stronger. It grows more leaves to catch sunlight. The roots grow deeper to find water. After some time, the plant is fully grown. We call this an adult plant. Adult plants can make flowers.
Making new seeds
Adult plants make flowers that turn into fruits or seed pods. Inside these are new seeds. Each seed can grow into a new plant. When the seeds are ready, they fall or spread to new places. The cycle starts all over again!
Why life cycles matter
Understanding plant life cycles helps us grow food and flowers. Farmers plant seeds at the right time to get crops. Gardeners know when to water seedlings carefully. The life cycle keeps going year after year, making new plants.
Worked examples
1. Put these stages in order: adult plant, seedling, seed, new seeds.
- Start with the seed because that is where the life cycle begins.
- Next comes the seedling when the seed germinates and grows.
- Then the seedling grows into an adult plant.
- Finally, the adult plant makes new seeds to start again.
2. A sunflower makes 200 seeds. How does this help sunflowers survive?
- Not all seeds will land in good soil with enough water.
- Some seeds might get eaten by birds or other animals.
- Making lots of seeds means at least some will grow successfully.
- This helps make sure there will be new sunflowers next year.
3. What does a seedling need that a seed does not need?
- A seed can wait for a long time without water or light.
- Once a seedling starts growing, it needs sunlight for energy.
- Seedlings also need water and nutrients from the soil to grow.
- A seedling is actively growing so it needs more resources.
Try it yourself
You plant a bean seed on Monday. By Friday, it has a tiny root and shoot. What stage is it at now?
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