The seed represents a critical stage in the life cycle of flowering plants. It corresponds to a dry structure carrying the plant embryo in dormant or quiescent state. Orthodox seeds possess a very low water content, preventing biochemical reactions, especially respiration. If the desiccation of living organisms leads to a loss of homeostasis, structure, and metabolism, the seeds go through it successfully thanks to their structure, cellular organization, and growth regulation. Seeds set up a certain number of sophisticated molecules to protect valuable macromolecules or organelles from dehydration/rehydration cycles. Moreover, dormancy takes place in a coordinated process with environmental cues in order to ensure embryo development at the most appropriate conditions for the establishment of the new plant. Moreover, repair processes are programmed to be ready to operate to maximize germination success and seed longevity. This review focuses on the physiology of the seed as related to hydration forces, respiration, and biochemical reactions in the transition from thermodynamically undefined dry state to self-sustained living system. Such processes are of importance for basic knowledge of the regulation of metabolism of living organisms, but also for the control of germination in the context of climate change due to global warming.
Keywords: ageing; dormancy; energy; germination; hydration force; seed.