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: 4 complete abstracts (710 words), 10 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 initial stages of the growth of seeds into a seedlings. The embryonic shoot (plumule) and embryonic plant roots (radicle) emerge and grow upwards and downwards respectively. Food reserves for germination come from endosperm tissue within the seed and/or from the seed leaves (cotyledon). (Concise Dictionary of Biology, 1990)
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: Germinations.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Plant Development
- Narrower topics
- Plant Dormancy
- See also
- Seedlings
Related concepts
- Seeds
- Seedlings
- Plant Roots
- Cotyledon
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 14,219 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Germination” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 4,780 of them (33.6%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 6,150 records.
Reviews account for 614 records (4.3%) and meta-analyses for 15. Randomized controlled trials number 6 (0.0%) 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 | 384 |
| 2000-2009 | 2,905 |
| 2010-2019 | 6,150 |
| 2020 onward | 4,780 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 614 | 4.3% |
| Meta-analyses | 15 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 6 | 0.0% |
Method: PubMed query "Germination"[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 commitment for life: Decades of unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind seed dormancy and germination | 2024 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 98 | cc by PMID 38215009 · DOI · PMC11062444 |
| ABA-mediated regulation of rice grain quality and seed dormancy via the NF-YB1-SLRL2-bHLH144 Module | 2024 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 40 | cc by PMID 38802342 · DOI · PMC11130328 |
| Osmosensor-mediated control of Ca2+ spiking in pollen germination | 2024 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 39 | cc by PMID 38778102 · DOI · PMC11136663 |
| Strigolactones and sesquiterpene lactones induce Orobanche cumana germination via KAI2d receptors through distinct processes | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 41989952 · DOI · PMC13086240 |
A commitment for life: Decades of unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind seed dormancy and germination [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Seeds are unique time capsules that can switch between 2 complex and highly interlinked stages: seed dormancy and germination.
- Closing excerpt
- Omics technologies like transcriptome, proteome, and translatomics analysis allowed us to mechanistically dissect these processes and identify new components in the regulation of seed dormancy and germination.
- 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 (153 words)
Seeds are unique time capsules that can switch between 2 complex and highly interlinked stages: seed dormancy and germination. Dormancy contributes to the survival of plants because it allows to delay germination to optimal conditions. The switch between dormancy and germination occurs in response to developmental and environmental cues. In this review we provide a comprehensive overview of studies that have helped to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying dormancy and germination over the last decades. Genetic and physiological studies provided a strong foundation for this field of research and revealed the critical role of the plant hormones abscisic acid and gibberellins in the regulation of dormancy and germination, and later natural variation studies together with quantitative genetics identified previously unknown genetic components that control these processes. Omics technologies like transcriptome, proteome, and translatomics analysis allowed us to mechanistically dissect these processes and identify new components in the regulation of seed dormancy and germination.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 38215009 · DOI · PMC11062444
ABA-mediated regulation of rice grain quality and seed dormancy via the NF-YB1-SLRL2-bHLH144 Module [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in promoting plant stress resistance and seed dormancy.
- Closing excerpt
- In conclusion, this study revealed an ABA-responsive regulatory cascade that functions in both rice quality and seed dormancy.
- 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 (150 words)
Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in promoting plant stress resistance and seed dormancy. However, how ABA regulates rice quality remains unclear. This study identifies a key transcription factor SLR1-like2 (SLRL2), which mediates the ABA-regulated amylose content (AC) of rice. Mechanistically, SLRL2 interacts with NF-YB1 to co-regulate Wx, a determinant of AC and rice quality. In contrast to SLR1, SLRL2 is ABA inducible but insensitive to GA. In addition, SLRL2 exhibits DNA-binding activity and directly regulates the expression of Wx, bHLH144 and MFT2. SLRL2 competes with NF-YC12 for interaction with NF-YB1. NF-YB1 also directly represses SLRL2 transcription. Genetic validation supports that SLRL2 functions downstream of NF-YB1 and bHLH144 in regulating rice AC. Thus, an NF-YB1-SLRL2-bHLH144 regulatory module is successfully revealed. Furthermore, SLRL2 regulates rice dormancy by modulating the expression of MFT2. In conclusion, this study revealed an ABA-responsive regulatory cascade that functions in both rice quality and seed dormancy.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 38802342 · DOI · PMC11130328
Osmosensor-mediated control of Ca2+ spiking in pollen germination [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Higher plants survive terrestrial water deficiency and fluctuation by arresting cellular activities (dehydration) and resuscitating processes (rehydration).
- Closing excerpt
- 2 convert extracellular water status into Ca2+ spiking in pollen and may serve as essential hypo-osmosensors for tracking rehydration in plants.
- 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 (219 words)
Higher plants survive terrestrial water deficiency and fluctuation by arresting cellular activities (dehydration) and resuscitating processes (rehydration). However, how plants monitor water availability during rehydration is unknown. Although increases in hypo-osmolarity-induced cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (HOSCA) have long been postulated to be the mechanism for sensing hypo-osmolarity in rehydration1,2, the molecular basis remains unknown. Because osmolarity triggers membrane tension and the osmosensing specificity of osmosensing channels can only be determined in vivo3-5, these channels have been classified as a subtype of mechanosensors. Here we identify bona fide cell surface hypo-osmosensors in Arabidopsis and find that pollen Ca2+ spiking is controlled directly by water through these hypo-osmosensors-that is, Ca2+ spiking is the second messenger for water status. We developed a functional expression screen in Escherichia coli for hypo-osmosensitive channels and identified OSCA2.1, a member of the hyperosmolarity-gated calcium-permeable channel (OSCA) family of proteins6. We screened single and high-order OSCA mutants, and observed that the osca2.1/osca2.2 double-knockout mutant was impaired in pollen germination and HOSCA. OSCA2.1 and OSCA2.2 function as hypo-osmosensitive Ca2+-permeable channels in planta and in HEK293 cells. Decreasing osmolarity of the medium enhanced pollen Ca2+ oscillations, which were mediated by OSCA2.1 and OSCA2.2 and required for germination. OSCA2.1 and OSCA2.2 convert extracellular water status into Ca2+ spiking in pollen and may serve as essential hypo-osmosensors for tracking rehydration in plants.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 38778102 · DOI · PMC11136663
Strigolactones and sesquiterpene lactones induce Orobanche cumana germination via KAI2d receptors through distinct processes [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Orobanche cumana is an obligate parasitic weed belonging to the Orobanchaceae family and represents the most important biotic constraint to sunflower seed production in all the regions where sunflower is cultivated, except in North and South America.
- Closing excerpt
- cumana and offer promising perspectives for the development of sustainable and effective strategies for controlling this parasitic weed.
- 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 (188 words)
Orobanche cumana is an obligate parasitic weed belonging to the Orobanchaceae family and represents the most important biotic constraint to sunflower seed production in all the regions where sunflower is cultivated, except in North and South America. O. cumana seeds compensate for their limited reserves by having strict requirements for germination, which involve the detection of specific allelochemicals exuded by sunflower roots, known as germination stimulants (GS). To date, these stimulants have been identified as strigolactones (SLs) and sesquiterpene lactones (SqTLs). In this study, we characterized nine KAI2d receptors of O. cumana with respect to their ability to perceive GS. We demonstrated that at least four OcuKAI2d proteins function as receptors for both canonical and non-canonical SLs. In addition, we showed that these paralogs interact with the sunflower-derived SqTL, (-)-DCL, through a mechanism distinct from their interaction with SLs: they form a covalent adduct on a histidine residue within the binding pocket, adjacent to the serine of the catalytic triad. Our findings expand current knowledge on GS perception in O. cumana and offer promising perspectives for the development of sustainable and effective strategies for controlling this parasitic weed.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 41989952 · DOI · PMC13086240
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 Seed dormancy and the control of germination [5]
- Research article Molecular aspects of seed dormancy [6]
- Research article Molecular networks regulating Arabidopsis seed maturation, after-ripening, dormancy and germination [7]
- Research article Two Faces of One Seed: Hormonal Regulation of Dormancy and Germination [8]
- Research article Seed germination and vigor [9]
- Research article Light-regulated plant growth and development [10]
References
- Sajeev N, Koornneef M, Bentsink L. A commitment for life: Decades of unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind seed dormancy and germination. . 2024. PMID 38215009 · DOI · PMC11062444
- Wang JD, Wang J, Huang LC, Kan LJ, Wang CX, Xiong M, et al.. ABA-mediated regulation of rice grain quality and seed dormancy via the NF-YB1-SLRL2-bHLH144 Module. . 2024. PMID 38802342 · DOI · PMC11130328
- Pei S, Tao Q, Li W, Qi G, Wang B, Wang Y, et al.. Osmosensor-mediated control of Ca2+ spiking in pollen germination. . 2024. PMID 38778102 · DOI · PMC11136663
- Affholder J, Lambret L, Penaranda S, Cornu D, Lebris P, Keita A, et al.. Strigolactones and sesquiterpene lactones induce Orobanche cumana germination via KAI2d receptors through distinct processes. . 2026. PMID 41989952 · DOI · PMC13086240
- Finch-Savage WE, Leubner-Metzger G. Seed dormancy and the control of germination. New Phytol. 2006. PMID 16866955 · DOI
- Finkelstein R, Reeves W, Ariizumi T, Steber C. Molecular aspects of seed dormancy. Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2008. PMID 18257711 · DOI
- Holdsworth MJ, Bentsink L, Soppe WJJ. Molecular networks regulating Arabidopsis seed maturation, after-ripening, dormancy and germination. New Phytol. 2008. PMID 18422904 · DOI
- Shu K, Liu XD, Xie Q, He ZH. Two Faces of One Seed: Hormonal Regulation of Dormancy and Germination. Mol Plant. 2016. PMID 26343970 · DOI
- Rajjou L, Duval M, Gallardo K, Catusse J, Bally J, Job C, et al.. Seed germination and vigor. Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2012. PMID 22136565 · DOI
- Kami C, Lorrain S, Hornitschek P, Fankhauser C. Light-regulated plant growth and development. Curr Top Dev Biol. 2010. PMID 20705178 · 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.
See how EvidenceLib is built. Spotted an error? Email support@evidencehelix.com.
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.