A brand new baby plant inside a seed needs something to hold on to. Suspensor cells are its little stalk!
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After a sperm cell joins the egg cell, the new cell splits in two. One side grows into the baby plant, called the embryo. The other side grows into a short chain of cells called the suspensor.
The suspensor holds the tiny embryo like a stalk. Its bottom end is stuck to the inside of the seed, near the tiny opening where the pollen tube came in.
Press Send food on the 3D model to watch food travel up the stalk.
The suspensor pushes the embryo into the endosperm, the seed's food store. It also passes food and growth signals to the baby plant.
Its job doesn't last long. When the embryo is big enough, the suspensor breaks down and disappears.
In runner beans, the suspensor is big enough that scientists study it to learn how it helps feed the baby plant.
By SciShow Kids. A fun video for kids.
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