Which term matches the definition: seed plant that bears its seeds directly on the surfaces of cones?

• A. Gymnosperm
• B. Cotyledon
• C. Endosperm
• D. Germination

Answer: (A)

Seeds are produced by seed plants in two broad ways, and the clue here is that the seeds sit on the surfaces of cones rather than inside a fruit. Gymnosperms are the plants that carry naked seeds on the scales of cones, not enclosed in an ovary that becomes fruit. This naked-seed arrangement is what defines gymnosperms, with examples like pines, spruces, and firs.

Cotyledon is the seed leaf that emerges during germination, part of the embryo itself, not a plant group. Endosperm is the nutrient-rich tissue in many angiosperm seeds that feeds the developing embryo. Germination is the process of a seed starting to grow into a seedling.

So the term that fits the description—seed plant bearing its seeds directly on cone surfaces—is gymnosperm.