Kernel Biology

Abstract

Maize kernels contain a persistent endosperm and a developmentally precocious embryo, each of which is comprised of a relatively small number of distinct tissue types. Clonally distinct yet genetically identical structures, the embryo and endosperm are an exquisite experimental system for analyses of developmental interactions. Several decades of classical and molecular genetic research utilizing an especially abundant array of informative mutants have provided unique insight into the developmental mechanisms of maize kernel morphogenesis.