change, alter, vary, modify mean to make or become different. change implies making either an essential difference often amounting to a loss of original identity or a substitution of one thing for another. changed the shirt for a larger size; alter implies a difference in some particular respect without suggesting loss of identity.
hydrophilic - having a strong affinity for water; tending to dissolve in, mix with, or be wetted by water. chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions.
No other seed posesses such hydrophilic properties. (hydrophilic: attracted to water) The micro fibers on the outer coating of the seed allow it to absorb NINE times its own weight in water. This is extremely beneficial for anyone who eats the seed, for a number of reasons.