Grass seed — molecular germination
A simple, visual story of what happens inside a seed right after it takes up water.
What this is?
A friendly walkthrough of early germination. We track a few helpful dials: water in the seed, two hormones (a “brake” and a “go” signal), an enzyme that frees up food, the amount of usable sugar, and a “wall‑softening” factor that lets the root tip push out. When the three key needs are met — enough water, enough sugar, and soft walls — the radicle (first root) pops out. A few days later, the coleoptile (shoot sheath) shows.
How to use it
Pick the number of days and press Run. Read the milestones and watch the trend lines.
Pick the number of days and press Run. Read the milestones and watch the trend lines.
What to look for
Do water (W), sugar (S), and wall‑softening (E) cross their marks? That’s the radicle moment.
Do water (W), sugar (S), and wall‑softening (E) cross their marks? That’s the radicle moment.
Keep in mind
This is an educational toy: numbers are illustrative, not lab‑calibrated.
This is an educational toy: numbers are illustrative, not lab‑calibrated.
Glossary (plain → scientific)
Water level → W (hydration, 0–1)
Brake hormone → ABA (abscisic acid)
Go hormone → GA (gibberellin)
Growth brakes → DELLA proteins
Starch‑unlocker → α‑amylase
Fuel → S (metabolizable sugar)
Wall softeners → E (expansins)
Answer
Not computed yet.
Reason why
Check (harness)
Not computed yet.