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Everything about Endosperm

Tissue inside seeds that is starchy in cereals and liquid in coconuts

The endosperm is a tissue produced inside the seeds of most flowering plants following double fertilization. It is triploid in most species, which may be auxin-driven. It surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition in the form of starch, though it can also contain oils and protein. This can make endosperm a source of nutrition in animal diet. For example, wheat endosperm is ground into flour for bread, while barley endosperm is the main source of sugars for beer production. Other examples of endosperm that forms the bulk of the edible portion are coconut "meat" and coconut "water", and corn. Some plants, such as certain orchids, lack endosperm in their seeds. Wikipedia →

🧭 Start here: a 6-step reading path

  1. Read the overview: EndospermA 5-minute orientation
  2. Skim a recent paper: Detection of Fe3+ ions in aqueous environment using fluorescent carbon quantum dots synthesized from endosperm of Borassus flabelliferInfluential work since 2022
  3. Pick up a classic book: EndospermThe most-reprinted book on the subject
  4. Read the landmark paper: Engineering the Provitamin A (β-Carotene) Biosynthetic Pathway into (Carotenoid-Free) Rice EndospermCited 1,842 times
  5. Go sideways: Double fertilizationA closely related topic
  6. Go sideways: GametophyteA closely related topic

📖 Definitions

Noun The tissue surrounding the embryo of flowering plant seeds, that provides nutrition to the developing embryo; usually triploid.

🗂️ The subject at a glance

  1. Double fertilization
  2. Endosperm development
  3. Evolutionary origins
  4. Role in seed development
  5. Cereal grains

🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)

🆕 Influential since 2022

📚 Books worth reading

Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.

🔗 Related topics