When seeds of various species were treated with hydrogen peroxide solution, the seeds were inflated in their particular ways, as described in the previous paper.
In order to elucidate the mechanism of the inflation of the seeds, this work has been carried out using peanuts, soybeans, corn, broad beans, and red beans.
The following mechanism is proposed on this phenomenon,
(1) Process of the inflation of the seeds:
Hydrogen peroxide solution, at first, permeates into the seeds through the hilum, embryo, and seed coat, then is decomposed to water and oxygen gas by catalase in the seeds. The oxygen gas which is accumulated in the space between the seed coat and the endosperm, inflates the seeds without the permeation of water into the seeds.
(2) Rate controling factors:
A factor controling the rate of the inflation is the permeability of the seed coat to hydrogen peroxide solution. The extent of the permeability is proportional to the rate of the inflation. Second rate determining factor is the velocity of loosening of the seed coat, when the seed coats of different kinds of seeds show the same extent of permeability.
In spite of the fact that catalase plays an essential role in the inflation, it is not a rate determining factor. It was found by microscopic work that the cytohistological differences of the seed coats were closely related to the rate of inflation.
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