种子很惊人!
Even though they're usually pretty small, on the inside they have everything a plant needs to start growing.
它们尽管很小,但包含植物开始生长所需的一切。
Just one tiny little seed can grow into a house plant, a bush, or even a huge tree!
一粒小小的种子就能长成一株盆栽、灌木甚至是一棵大树!
Today, we're going to look inside a special kind of plant seed, one that you've probably even eaten before: a bean!
今天,我们要看一种特殊的植物种子,你或许之前也吃过:豆子!
That's right! Beans are seeds!
你说对了,豆子是种子!
Like other seeds, beans come from the flowers on a plant, in this case, bean plants.
像其他种子一样,豆子来自于植物,即豆科植物上的花。
Beans may not look like tiny little flower seeds, or like hard watermelon seeds, but seeds come in all shapes in sizes!
豆子看起来可能不像小花籽、或坚硬的西瓜种子,但种子大小形态不一!
In fact, if you planted some dry beans like the kind you find in your kitchen, they might even grow into bean plants.
事实上,如果你种一些干豆,就像你在厨房里发现的那种,它们或许能长成豆科植物。
A seed has everything inside of it that a tiny plant needs to get started,
一粒种子内部有小植物生长所需的全部物质,
but a lot of seeds are too small or hard for you to be able to look inside and see for yourself.
但许多种子要么太小要么太硬,你看不了它内部的状况。
Not beans, though! Since they're nice and big, you can look inside and see how a seed works!
不过,豆子不同!因为豆子很大,你可以观察它的内部,看种子是如何工作的!
For this experiment, all you'll need is a large dry bean, like a kidney bean or a pinto bean, a cup of water and some time!
对于这个实验,你只需要一粒大干豆如菜豆或墨西哥豆,一杯水和一段时间!
Before you can see inside your bean, you'll have to soften it up.
你在观察豆子内部前,得把它软化一下。
When beans aren't planted, they dry up and the outside of the seed gets really hard to protect the tiny plant inside.
当豆子没被种植时,它们会变干,种子外面会变硬,以此来保护里面的小植物。
But it's easy to soften your bean: all you have to do is put it in water for a day or two.
但你的豆子很容易变软:你只需要把它放在水里一两天。
After that, the outside of the bean, which is called the seed coat, should be soft enough to open.
之后,豆子的外面,被称为“种皮”的物质应该足够软了,能剥开了。
Before you open it, though, take a look at this spot where the seed coat is a different color.
在你剥开它之前,看看这个地方,它的种皮颜色不同。
This part of the bean has its own special name.
豆子的这个部分有它自己的特殊名称。
It's called the hilum, and it's where the seed was attached to its parent plant.
叫做种脐,是种子在其母株上的附着点。
It's basically the bean's belly button!
它基本上就是豆子的肚脐!
Now let's open up the bean!
现在,让我们剥开这粒豆子!
It should separate in half pretty easily, but you can also ask a grown-up to cut it for you.
它应该很容易分成两半,但你也可以找个大人切开它。
That's true, Squeaks!
吱吱,这是真的。
That little thing poking out there does sort of look like a tiny plant, and that's exactly what it is!
这伸出来的小东西看起来有点儿像微型植物,它分明就是!
It's called the embryo.
它被称为胚芽。
If you planted this bean in the ground,
如果你把豆子种在地里,
the embryo would poke out of the seed coat and grow up and out of the ground and into a new bean plant!
胚芽会从种皮中伸出来,然后从地里长出来,长成一株新的豆科植物!
You might even be able to see tiny little leaves on the embryo.
你甚至可以看到胚芽上的小叶子。
As a plant grows, these leaves turn green and help the plant collect the sunlight it uses to make food.
随着植物的生长,这些叶子变绿,帮助植物收集阳光用来制作食物。
The rest of the bean is made up of this solid white stuff, and it has a funny name: it's called the cotyledon.
豆子的剩余部分是由这种白色固体物质组成的,它有一个有趣的名字,叫做子叶。
The cotyledon is basically stored-up plant food.
子叶主要用于储存植物的食物。
It's what the embryo will use for energy when it first starts to grow.
当胚芽开始生长时,它提供能量。
Once the plant gets bigger, it'll use its leaves and roots to collect the sunlight and water that it needs to survive.
植物一旦长大,会利用叶子和根部收集阳光和水,用于生存。
But first, it needs a little energy to grow big enough for its roots and leaves to take over.
但在根部和叶子接管之前,它需要一点儿能量来长大。
So the cotyledon gives the embryo the little boost that it needs.
所以子叶给了胚芽所需的小增长。
When you eat a bean, your body also uses the cotyledon to give you energy!
当你吃豆子时,你的身体也会利用子叶提供能量!
So a bean may seem small and simple.
因此,一粒豆子看起来似乎又小又简单,
But it's really a seed, with lots of different parts that are meant to help it grow into a strong plant!
但它确实是一粒种子,包含很多不同的部分,来帮助它成长为一株强壮的植物!
Man, all this talk about beans is making me pretty hungry... how about you, Squeaks?
天啊,这些关于豆子的讨论让我很饿,吱吱,你呢?
Ahh! Well, let's go make a big pot of chili!
啊!好吧,我们去做一大锅辣椒吧!
Do you have any questions about beans, seeds or plants?
你对豆类、种子或植物有什么疑问吗?
Or maybe you have pictures of your own awesome garden you'd like to share with us?
或许你有很棒的花园照片,想和我们分享?
Grab a grownup to help you leave a comment down below, or email us to kids@scishow.com!
找个大人帮忙在下方留言,或发邮件至kids@scishow.com!
And a big thanks to Google Making Science for helping us make this episode!
非常感谢“Google Making Science”对本期节目的大力支持!
Thanks for hanging out with us today, and we'll see you next time, here at the Fort!
谢谢你今天和我们一起玩,我们下期见,沃斯堡等你哦!