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What metabolic processes does a dormant embryo in a seed carry out? The newly produced seed will not germinate, either because of a lack of favourable conditions, seed hibernation, or because of a pre-determined(genetic) physical or physiological mechanism preventing germination before a specific period or event, seed dormancy. Both of these are almost equivalent, atleast for the meat of my question.

With these germination preventing mechanisms in place, the seed will not germinate in the absence of specific triggers. But the seed viability period is limited in which it germinates if the trigger is available. What metabolic processes a seed carries out in its dormant/hibernating state, on cessation of which, the seed becomes non-viable?

Does the embryo in a dessicated dormant seed respire, excrete, ingest etc, though with a reduced speed? If it does, is the depletion of the respiratory substrate which results in termination of seed viability?

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hormones gibberelin and absciscic acid play antagonistic roles in seed germination. –  biogirl Jan 2 at 10:14
@biogirllajja Thanks :), But I want to know what happens before germination, when the seed is just dormant., not germinating but viable. –  Satwik Pasani Jan 13 at 17:16
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