Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (526 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
The encapsulated embryos of flowering plants. They are used as is or for animal feed because of the high content of concentrated nutrients like starches, proteins, and fats. Rapeseed, cottonseed, and sunflower seed are also produced for the oils (fats) they yield.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Seed; Embryos, Plant; Embryo, Plant; Plant Embryo; Plant Embryos; Plant Zygotes; Plant Zygote; Zygote, Plant.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Fruit; Food
- Narrower topics
- Cotyledon; Edible Grain; Endosperm
- See also
- Nuts
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 84,271 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Seeds” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 23,735 of them (28.2%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 29,466 records.
Reviews account for 5,131 records (6.1%) and meta-analyses for 276. Randomized controlled trials number 1,209 (1.4%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 15,160 |
| 2000-2009 | 15,910 |
| 2010-2019 | 29,466 |
| 2020 onward | 23,735 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 5,131 | 6.1% |
| Meta-analyses | 276 | 0.3% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 1,209 | 1.4% |
Method: PubMed query "Seeds"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in anatomy and physiology
Anatomy describes how body structures are built and physiology describes how they normally work, so most findings here are descriptive or mechanistic rather than evidence about treatment. Much of what is known comes from dissection, imaging, tissue studies and experiments in animals, and measurements in healthy volunteers can differ from those in people with disease or at different ages. Normal ranges vary between individuals and populations. Check whether a result was measured in people or in another species, the age and health of the participants, and the method used.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A transcriptional atlas of early Arabidopsis seed development suggests mechanisms for inter-tissue coordination | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 4 | cc by PMID 42168363 · DOI · PMC13197225 |
| Melatonin seed priming: A climate-smart, green strategy to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in plants | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 3 | cc by PMID 42178738 · DOI · PMC13446641 |
| What do we know about the seed microbiome? | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 41935333 · DOI · PMC13050488 |
A transcriptional atlas of early Arabidopsis seed development suggests mechanisms for inter-tissue coordination [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Successful seed development is essential for flowering plant reproduction and requires the coordination of three genetically distinct tissues: the embryo and endosperm, which are the products of fertilization, and the maternal seed coat.
- Closing excerpt
- Among other findings, our analyses reveal the compartmentalization of genes involved in brassinosteroid-responsive transcription factor activation, abundant endosperm expression of genes that encode short, secreted peptides, and expression enrichment of rapidly evolving genes in endosperm and seed coat subtypes, illuminating the cell type and species specificity of seed genes.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (143 words)
Successful seed development is essential for flowering plant reproduction and requires the coordination of three genetically distinct tissues: the embryo and endosperm, which are the products of fertilization, and the maternal seed coat. Our understanding of the transcriptional programs underlying tissue-specific functions and inter-tissue coordination in seeds remains incomplete. To address this, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing on Arabidopsis thaliana seeds at 3, 5 and 7 days after pollination. Here we characterized all major seed cell or nucleus types, further refined transcriptional states in the endosperm and mapped signatures of selection on cell-type-specific genes. Among other findings, our analyses reveal the compartmentalization of genes involved in brassinosteroid-responsive transcription factor activation, abundant endosperm expression of genes that encode short, secreted peptides, and expression enrichment of rapidly evolving genes in endosperm and seed coat subtypes, illuminating the cell type and species specificity of seed genes.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42168363 · DOI · PMC13197225
Melatonin seed priming: A climate-smart, green strategy to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in plants [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Enhancing crop tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses is critical for achieving sustainable agriculture.
- Closing excerpt
- Addressing these bottlenecks through high-throughput screening, epigenetic memory assessment, and optimized delivery systems will be essential to fully harness the practical potential of MSP as a sustainable and green approach for future agriculture.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (216 words)
Enhancing crop tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses is critical for achieving sustainable agriculture. Targeted seed-stage interventions using natural signaling compounds (e.g., melatonin) provide a unique opportunity to establish early stress tolerance that can persist through the critical seed-to-seedling transition. Melatonin seed priming (MSP) is rapidly emerging as a green and climate-smart strategy for enhancing plant stress tolerance. MSP triggers defensive molecular, biochemical, and physiological reprogramming during germination, thereby improving plant performance under subsequent stress conditions. This review synthesizes recent mechanistic insights into how MSP confers stress tolerance across diverse species by modulating redox signaling, hormonal homeostasis, and stress-related gene networks. We elucidate the synergistic potential of MSP when combined with nanoformulations, other priming agents, or beneficial microbes. We also discuss its crosstalk with key signaling pathways to better understand the tolerance mechanisms. Furthermore, we propose a forward-looking strategy that integrates omics, genome editing, speed breeding, and molecular phenotyping methods to improve MSP applications for the development of stress-smart crops. Despite its potential, MSP still faces multiple challenges, including species-specific responses, dosage variability, limited post-priming seed storage stability, and a lack of field-scale validation. Addressing these bottlenecks through high-throughput screening, epigenetic memory assessment, and optimized delivery systems will be essential to fully harness the practical potential of MSP as a sustainable and green approach for future agriculture.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42178738 · DOI · PMC13446641
What do we know about the seed microbiome? [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The seed microbiome supports plant health and increases resilience under adverse environmental conditions.
- Closing excerpt
- Video Abstract.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (167 words)
The seed microbiome supports plant health and increases resilience under adverse environmental conditions. Seeds are also an important vector for transgenerational transfer of the plant microbiota. Even though research over the last decade has provided valuable insights into the functional roles of seed-associated microbes, these important members of the plant microbiome remain underexplored. This review systematically highlights recently discovered key functions of the seed microbiota. It covers taxonomic composition and diversity across plant species, transmission mechanisms, functional roles in germination and seedling establishment, growth promotion, and stress resistance. The review also addresses methodological challenges and highlights critical open questions regarding assembly, spatial compartmentalization, and translation into applications. Further research into seed microbiomes has the potential to not only increase the sustainability in plant production but also to increase food security in a changing climate. Reaching such outcomes will be facilitated by mechanistic studies that will disclose the remaining secrets of plant-microbe interplay at the very first developmental stage of most plants that nowadays inhabit Earth. Video Abstract.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41935333 · DOI · PMC13050488
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Dietary fibre, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies [4]
- Research article Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies [5]
- Research article Dietary fibre and whole grains in diabetes management: Systematic review and meta-analyses [6]
- Research article Whole-grain and blood lipid changes in apparently healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies [7]
- Research article Seed arrival, ecological filters, and plant species richness: a meta-analysis [8]
- Research article Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increase grain yields: a meta-analysis [9]
References
- Martin CA, Cogdill KR, Pusey AL, Gehring M. A transcriptional atlas of early Arabidopsis seed development suggests mechanisms for inter-tissue coordination. . 2026. PMID 42168363 · DOI · PMC13197225
- Raza A, Li Y, Guo C, Karalija E, Agathokleous E, Jiang M, et al.. Melatonin seed priming: A climate-smart, green strategy to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in plants. . 2026. PMID 42178738 · DOI · PMC13446641
- Qi X, Jin D, Olimi E, Chen X, Cernava T. What do we know about the seed microbiome?. . 2026. PMID 41935333 · DOI · PMC13050488
- Aune D, Chan DS, Lau R, Vieira R, Greenwood DC, Kampman E, et al.. Dietary fibre, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ. 2011. PMID 22074852 · DOI · PMC3213242
- Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, Fadnes LT, Boffetta P, Greenwood DC, et al.. Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ. 2016. PMID 27301975 · DOI · PMC4908315
- Reynolds AN, Akerman AP, Mann J. Dietary fibre and whole grains in diabetes management: Systematic review and meta-analyses. PLoS Med. 2020. PMID 32142510 · DOI · PMC7059907
- Hollænder PL, Ross AB, Kristensen M. Whole-grain and blood lipid changes in apparently healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015. PMID 26269373 · DOI
- Myers JA, Harms KE. Seed arrival, ecological filters, and plant species richness: a meta-analysis. Ecol Lett. 2009. PMID 19723285 · DOI
- Zhang S, Lehmann A, Zheng W, You Z, Rillig MC. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increase grain yields: a meta-analysis. New Phytol. 2019. PMID 30372522 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.