(a) (i) What is meant by germination? Growth of seed (or embryo part or of embryo) (ii) Why is digestion necessary in a germinating seed? To make (food) soluble or to make (food) transportable - Leaving Cert Biology - Question 8 - 2009

Digestion is necessary to convert stored food into soluble forms that can be easily transported and utilized by the developing embryo.

An agar plate is a Petri dish that contains a jelly-like substance, which serves as a solid medium to support the growth of microorganisms or plant tissues during experiments.

An example of an extra food material is starch or milk, which can be added to the agar plate to facilitate the demonstration of digestive activity.

The procedures involved soaking or splitting the seeds, ensuring they were sterilized correctly, positioning the seeds on the agar, and maintaining the plate at a warm temperature (maximum 35 °C) to promote germination.

The control used for this demonstration consisted of boiled seeds, which serve as a comparative baseline to observe the absence of digestive activity.

To demonstrate digestive activity, iodine solution or biuret solution was used, depending on the food material being tested.

In the experimental plate, no blue-black coloration or purple coloration was observed under the seeds, indicating a lack of starch or protein breakdown.

In the control plate, a blue-black or purple coloration was observed under the seeds, confirming the presence of starch or proteins.