The Amazon jungles, mangroves, virgin forests, tropical forests and even plants in a kitchen garden have all originated from seeds. Many plants have survived over the ages through wind dispersals and alternative forms of reproduction. However, the predominance of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants in all landscapes confirms the importance of a seed.

A ripened ovule of a gymnosperm or angiosperm is called a seed. An angiosperm or a flowering plant has a seed enclosed in the ovary that later forms a fruit. Gymnosperm, conifer and related plants seeds lie open to the elements. A seed contains an embryo, which facilitates growth of a new plant under favorable circumstances. It also has a supply of accumulated food and is wrapped in a seed coat. This stored food is initially a tissue called endosperm derived from the parent plant. Over time, the endosperm becomes rich in oil starch and protein. In some species, the embryo is embedded in the endosperm, which will be used later by the sapling, upon germination. In some other species, the embryo absorbs it as it grows within the developing seed.

Some seeds, such as those of the willow, are potent and capable of budding into healthy plants, within only a few days of falling from the parent tree. Some seeds can be retained in its seed form for years. Seeds of the Oriental lotus have been identified to develop many decades after dispersion. Each species of plant has its specific period of feasibility. Seeds sown after their prime period may generate into weak plants or may not develop at all.

A seed primarily serves as a delaying mechanism. It creates a pattern for the new generation to suspend its growth and allow time for dispersal to occur at the right time. It also helps survive harsh, unfavorable conditions of cold and dryness. In most cases, plants succeed in finding an ideal location for the placement of its seeds by producing numerous seeds. This allows atleast a minimum number of seeds to survive at any given time, allowing the continuation of both,seed and plant growth.