To investigate the digestive activity of seeds during germination

What is meant by germination?

growth of a seed into a new plant

Describe how you set up the apparatus for this investigation

• Prepare two starch agar plates

• Soak seeds in mild disinfectant for 5 mins (sterilisation)

• Cut seeds lengthways; place halves cut-side down on agar

• Incubate at 20 °C for 48 hours

• Remove seeds → flood plate with iodine for 2 mins

Why were the seeds soaked before the experiment?

• Soak 4 for broad bean seeds in water for 2 days to activate the digestive enzymes

How did you know digestion had occurred

the starch plate with the unboiled seeds remained yellow under where the seeds had been.

what kind of agar did you use?

starch

Why were the seeds placed open-side down on the agar?

So that the digestive enzymes are exposed to the agar

Name a type of enzyme in the seed that carries out digestion

Amylase