I learned there are 6 parts to a seed. The first part is called the testa and it's the covering of the seed. Testas aren't the same color or size in every plant. If you want to grow a seed, it has to have warmth, air, and water. It doesn't need soil because it will get its nutrition from the second of the part of the seed which are the cotyledans. These are the round and the largest part of the seed. The are the food for the seed until it sprouts and gets big enough to grow on its own.
The three other parts of the seed are the radicle (which becomes the root), the hypotyl (which becomes the stem), and the epicotyl (which becomes the top of the plant and holds the leaves).
When there are baby leaves in a seed, they are called plumules. It is not common to have plumules in a seed, about as common as a baby born with teeth. Bean seeds have plumules and that includes peanuts.
There is a special word for when a seed sprouts. It is called germination. The seeds doesn't need sunlight yet, either, when it germinates. One of the first things a seed will do is to grow a stem, the hypocotyl, because it's trying to reach for light. If it is dark, the stem will grow longer and longer because its trying to survive. It knows it will need sunlight to survive.
We planted some herb seeds and put a box over them with a light that shines day and night. The first seeds lavender and oregano seeds sprouted today, about a week later.
You can see them in the photo below.
