Nutritive tissue that develops within the seeds of flowering plants to nourish the developing embryo. The endosperm is typically rich in starch, proteins, and oils, and in some seeds like grains, it persists to provide food for germination.
From Greek 'endon' meaning 'within' and 'sperma' meaning 'seed.' The term was coined in the 19th century as botanists developed detailed understanding of seed structure and the role of different tissues in plant reproduction and development.
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