Process after the fertilization of an ovule to produce a fully developed plant embryo
Plant embryonic development, also plant embryogenesis, is a process that occurs after the fertilization of an ovule to produce a fully developed plant embryo. This is a pertinent stage in the plant life cycle that is followed by dormancy and germination.[1] The zygote produced after fertilization must undergo various cellular divisions and differentiations to become a mature embryo.[1] An end stage embryo has five major components including the shoot apical meristem, hypocotyl, root meristem, root cap, and cotyledons.[1] Unlike the embryonic development in animals, and specifically in humans, plant embryonic development results in an immature form of the plant, lacking most structures like leaves, stems, and reproductive structures.[2] However, both plants and animals including humans, pass through a phylotypic stage that evolved independently[3] and that causes a developmental constraint limiting morphological diversification.[4][5][6][7]