PLANT EMBRYOGENESIS - ZYGOTE TO SEED

Most differentiation events in higher plants occur continuously in the postembryonic adult phase of the life cycle. Embryogenesis in plants, therefore, is concerned primarily with establishing the basic shoot-r oot body pattern of the plant and accumulating food reserves that will be used by the germinating seedling after a period of embryonic dorma ncy within the seed. Recent genetics studies in Arabidopsis have ident ified genes that provide new insight into how embryos form during plan t development. These studies, and others using molecular approaches, a re beginning to reveal the underlying processes that control plant emb ryogenesis.