Lesson 1
The biggest cell on the team
Inside each ovule is a team of 7 cells called the embryo sac. The central cell is the biggest. It fills the whole middle of the sac.
Most cells have one nucleus, but the central cell starts with two! They are called the polar nuclei. In many plants they join into one before pollen arrives.
Try thisPress Cut it open on the 3D model to find the two purple nuclei.
Lesson 2
Starting the seed's food
The pollen tube brings two sperm cells. One joins the egg cell. The other joins the central cell.
After that, the central cell splits again and again and grows into the endosperm, the food store inside the seed. The baby plant uses this food to grow.
Wow!The fluffy white part of popcorn is endosperm. So when you eat popcorn, you're eating food that started from a central cell!