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DNA and RNA from Ancient Plant Seeds

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Ancient DNA

Abstract

Plant seeds are peculiar structures designed to protect the genetic material of their embryo until long after the death of the mother plant. For this reason, the cells of a plant seed are adapted to survive the most stringent environmental conditions. After prolonged storage, however, a seed loses its capacity to germinate (viability). If the seed is kept in a dry environment it undergoes a sort of spontaneous mummification with no appreciable change in its external morphology. With the passing of centuries it will acquire a dark reddish-brown color, yet show an amazing degree of structure conservation (for a review, see Toole 1986).

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Authors
  1. Franco Rollo
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  2. Franco Maria Venanzi
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  3. Augusto Amici
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Anthropologie, Universität Göttingen, 37073, Göttingen, Germany

    Bernd Herrmann  & Susanne Hummel  & 

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© 1994 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Rollo, F., Venanzi, F.M., Amici, A. (1994). DNA and RNA from Ancient Plant Seeds. In: Herrmann, B., Hummel, S. (eds) Ancient DNA. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4318-2_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4318-2_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-94308-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-4318-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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