Which term matches the definition: the seed leaf in a plant embryo?

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

Answer: (A)

In seed plants, the embryo contains a seed leaf known as the cotyledon. This structure stores nutrients and often provides the first energy for the seedling during germination. In many dicots, there are two cotyledons that emerge as the seedling pushes upward, while in monocots there is typically one cotyledon (the scutellum in grasses) that still serves the role of the seed leaf during early growth. Endosperm, by contrast, is nourishing tissue surrounding the embryo in many seeds but is not a leaf. Germination is the process of a seed beginning to grow, and gymnosperms are a different group of seed plants with naked seeds, not seed leaves. So the seed leaf in a plant embryo is the cotyledon.