Where is most of the stored food energy for corn seed germination found?

The stored food energy for corn seed germination is primarily found in the endosperm. The endosperm is the tissue within the seed that provides essential nutrients to the developing embryo during germination, serving as the main source of energy. It is rich in starches and proteins that the seedling will rely on until it establishes a root system and begins photosynthesis.

The coleoptile, while important for the growth of the seedling as it emerges from the soil, is not a storage tissue. Instead, it acts as a protective sheath for the emerging shoot. The pericarp is the outer covering of the seed and does not store food energy. Lastly, corn seeds do not have cotyledons as they are classified as monocots, which generally have a single first leaf (the cotyledon) at the seedling stage, but all the significant stored energy is found in the endosperm.