Which term is the protective outer coat of a seed?

Which term is the protective outer coat of a seed?

• A. Cuticle
• B. Seed coat
• C. Petals
• D. Internode

Answer: (B)

The protective outer coat of a seed is the seed coat, also known as the testa. This layer surrounds and shield the embryo and stored nutrients, helping guard against physical damage, drying out, and pathogens, and it can influence when and how the seed germinates. The cuticle is a waxy layer on the surface of plant tissues like leaves and fruit skin, not the seed’s outer protective layer. Petals are flower parts, not seed coverings, and an internode is a stem segment between nodes. So the seed coat is the term that describes the protective outer coat of a seed.

The protective outer coat of a seed is the seed coat, also known as the testa. This layer surrounds and shield the embryo and stored nutrients, helping guard against physical damage, drying out, and pathogens, and it can influence when and how the seed germinates. The cuticle is a waxy layer on the surface of plant tissues like leaves and fruit skin, not the seed’s outer protective layer. Petals are flower parts, not seed coverings, and an internode is a stem segment between nodes. So the seed coat is the term that describes the protective outer coat of a seed.