Primary 6 · Science · Cycles: Seed Dispersal & Germination
Cycles: Seed Dispersal & Germination questions for Primary 6 Science
9 questions to work through online, 2 of them written out the way the paper asks. Answer and you get the working straight away, then a score at the end. No sign-up, and you can retake it as often as you like.
- Inferring the method
- Distinguishing two animal methods
- Designing a germination test
- Reading a germination table
- Why dispersal matters
- Features and methods
- Naming the condition not needed
- Naming a method
- Applying the ideas
| Seed | Mass | Surface | Floats? | Inside a fleshy fruit? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | very light | winged | ✗ | ✗ |
| Q | heavy | fibrous husk | ✓ | ✗ |
| R | small | smooth | ✗ | ✓ |
| S | small | hooked | ✗ | ✗ |
Same picture as the question above.
| Set-up | Water | Air | Warmth | Light | Germinated? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| K | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| L | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| M | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Answers and explanations for all 9 questions
Every answer with the reasoning behind it. Worth reading after you have tried the set — or on its own, if you are a parent marking it.
Based on the table above, which seed is dispersed by an animal eating it?
Answer: R
A seed inside a fleshy fruit is advertising itself to be eaten. The animal digests the fruit and passes the seed out elsewhere.
Using the same table, how are seeds R and S both dispersed by animals but in different ways?
Answer: R is eaten and passed out; S catches on fur and is carried.
Animals disperse seeds two ways. A fleshy fruit gets the seed eaten and carried internally; hooks get it carried on the outside.
To test whether seeds need air to germinate, which conditions must the two set-ups share?
Answer: A and B only
Everything except the air must match. Same water, same temperature, same seeds — and then any difference in germination is down to the air.
Based on the table above, which condition is NOT needed for germination?
Answer: light
K had no light and germinated anyway, so light is not needed. Removing water or air stopped germination, so both of those are.
A gardener sows a whole packet of seeds in one small pot and few of the seedlings thrive. Why?
Answer: They compete with each other for water, light and space.
Crowding is exactly what dispersal exists to avoid. Seedlings packed together take the same water and shade one another, so most do badly.
Which two features would you expect on a seed dispersed by wind?
Answer: A and B only
Wind dispersal needs the seed to stay up in moving air, so it is very light and shaped to catch it. Husks and fruits belong to other methods.
Seeds will germinate perfectly well in a dark cupboard, provided they have water, air and warmth. Which condition is therefore NOT needed for germination?
Answer: light
Germination needs water, air and warmth, but not light.
A seed has stiff hooks on its outer surface that catch in the coat of a passing animal. How is this seed dispersed? By ______ .
Answer: animals
Hooked seeds are dispersed by animals, catching on their fur.
Why do seeds carry a food store even though the parent plant makes food all its life?
Answer: The seedling must grow a root and shoot before its leaves can reach the light.
A germinating seed is often underground with no light at all. The store carries it through until its leaves are up and photosynthesising.