Summer is coming and with it the promise of sun, hot temperatures and lots of fun! It’s the time to get out and meet with friends. Sandy beaches and green meadows are inviting to have a nice picnic. What do you pack for your picnic? I love to have some fresh salad and juicy fruits, especially watermelon! The refreshing and juicy taste of a big pink slice of watermelon releases tons of dopamine in my body and makes me happy. All of a sudden I feel it – a seed is flushing down my throat! A film unfolds before my eyes: I have a big belly and a watermelon grows inside it!
As I was a child my mother kept telling me to never swallow a watermelon seed because it will grow in my stomach. And now I am sitting here, with a seed inside me and afraid of what will happen next. Time to call the doc or relax and eat some more seeds?
Let’s find out!
Germination
Let’s be honest, most likely all of us know watermelon seeds will not grow in your stomach. But why? In the following I will explain how a seed grows, why it cannot grow in your body and why you even should eat seeds!
The process of seeds growing into plants is called germination. A plant seed contains an embryo and a storage of nutrients (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) which is wrapped by a coat.
After a phase of dormancy, the seed will become active and start to grow. Several environmental stimuli can end the dormancy. This period is vital since the plant must know when to grow, preferably after wintertime.
The seedling’s root will push into the soil and absorb water from there. Through the water the plant gets its minerals from the soils, supporting the development. The larger the plant grows the larger the root becomes since the plant needs more water. In the same time a stem emerges from the seed and grows upwards. The seed turns into a seedling.
There are two ways a seed can grow (depending on the species):
Hypogeaous germination is observed when a seed grows the part between the seed leaves and the primary leaves first. This way the seed leaves will stay in the soil and perform no photosynthesis.
Source
Epigaic germination occurs when the part between the root and cotyledons (seed leaves) penetrates the soil first and the seed leaves follow, recognizable by the hook it builds. Cotyledons are photosynthetically active until the primary leaves grow.
Source
Once it breaks through the soil the stage of germination ends. From now on the plant needs more nutrients than given in the seed coat, the plant will carry out photosynthesis, a process in which the plant turns light energy into chemical energy which is stored in carbohydrate molecules. It takes carbon dioxide and water and turns it into sugar and oxygen. Notice anything? Plants produce the oxygen we need to live!
Source
Not the best place to grow!
Watermelon seeds will not grow in your stomach, they will simply go through your digestive system. Unless you have soils in your stomach this story is just an old wives’ tale. The human body is an hostile environment for any seeds. The lack of nutrients, no sunlight and gastric acid will extinguish any seed that tries to grow. Plants are very sensitive living organisms, they will only grow under right condition such as the right amount of water, warmth, nutrients from the soil and light. How much a plant needs depends on its origin and species. A cactus will need less water than a rainforest tree.
Seeds in general are healthy! I recommend you to dry watermelon seeds and peel them. They contain a high amount of proteins, vitamins, minerals and the best thing is they are low carb!
Next time your in the nature go and hug a tree, say him thanks for supplying you with all the oxygen you need.
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Myth or Fact? #15 - Survive a falling elevator by jumping up as it hits the floor
Myth or Fact? #14 - Mosquitoes prefer people with sweet blood
Myth or Fact? #13 - Does Santa Claus exist? 🎅
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Steem on, Tim
What is inside my stomach than?
There are some superstitions in people's mind. But these myths can be understood when thinking argumentatively and scientifically.
Piratebay seeds are not even growing online. :(
Didn't think of these seeds lol!
I hugged a tree a while ago, nature really respects you back when you show appreciation and love!
Well done
Haha love this! Reminds me of the Rugrats Episode where Angelica swallows a watermelon seed and it starts to grow in her stomach. (childhood cartoon for those of you who dont know what the Rugrats are) not sure why that has stuck with me all these years lol anyway...
Great post! :)
I was about to comment the exact same thing, but had a feeling someone else was on top of it. "Find" bar for the win!
I actually know that cartoon! :D seems you enjoyed that scene
Lol glad you got my reference!! 😂
hello
Haha now I know the reason. As kids we always took this thing very seriously and I remember being paranoid after swallowing a couple of seeds. Now I know they won't grow no matter how many I end up swallowing :)
I love your content @timsaid! This is very cool how this guy can back basically anything up with tons of evidence.
This brings a smile to my face! I just told my two grand sons NOT to swallow the seeds! They are 2 and 4! I love it.
@timsaid, first of all, I wanted to thank you for another great post. And I've got a question - I hope that you will not find it too forward of me. I'm also a science enthusiast and I'm going to start my own science series of posts here on Steemit (I'm working on the first one at this very moment). Can I link it to you when I'll post it? You probably don't follow me at this moment and I would really appreciate your opinion and suggestions. Probably it will take me a few days to post it, but I thought I will ask you right away. Thank you in advance :) Cheers!
Followed you, looking forward to see it!
I appreciate your work and enthusiasm
Steem on!
Oh, great :) Thank you!
Here it is finally :) https://steemit.com/science/@imperfect-one/can-you-get-blind-because-you-re-masturbating-science-has-answer-for-everything-1
I'm gonna stick to sunflower seeds and hope one day I grow 8 foot tall!
I ate lots of sunflower seeds as a kid in Kasas; now im 6'4! The SECRET is to eat 50% of the shells to gain MAX height! ;-=)
I love these kind of comments! :D
I could use extra inches too
awww phooey, if watermelon seeds can't grow out of your stomach, please explain what's going on here?! lol
Don't mind @alexpmorris @timsaid I guess he is on some sort of psychedelic trip after your melon treatment:
woooooah that is soooo kewl dude, reaaaaaaaaaaaally on a "Trip at the Brain" now! lol
haha great tune man :)
Now I'm pacified! I always expected Jack and the Beanstalk to come true, having an immense watermelon tree sprout from my stomach upon the first touch of liquid ;)
Haha! My grandad used to tell me that when I was a kid AND the vines would grow out of my ears and nose!
This post received a 33% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @timsaid! For more information, click here!
I was afraid of it when I was a child 😅😂
Me too!
Myth, im always eating watermelon seeds when I eat a watermelon their harmless.
I really wanted to grow watermelon. 🍉😅
Jajaja me encanta el contenido, te imaginas una patilla o sandía germinando dentro de tu estomágo
I'd have a watermelon plantation, cause I nearly always eat the seeds.
Water melon seed could actually germinate in your tommy and grow just the way spider man from your catoon can come out and chase some kids. Lol.
I heard that happend on Atlantis when Batman found out Robin is a Hotdog
This would be and awesome party trick!
Instead of water melon, can't we grow steem power in our stomach????
I wonder, are there people who believe in this myth? Even if you ignore all other conditions like the presence of acid and the lack of oxygen, the next question remains: how long does it take for the seed to germinate? More than a week is exactly (I know what I'm saying, because I recently planted them in the garden). And how often does a person go to the toilet?
The Gastronomical acid in the stomach can dissolve any orgnic thing including bones......I wish i remember another name for that acid as i am on the street right now...
Maybe simply call is stomach acid :P
😆😆😆😆😊😊😊.....i just want to feel like a scholar....
Awesome post!!!! Just ate some delicious watermelon myself along with my dinner. Watermelon is so good for you. I remember hearing that the outside of the watermelon, the hard part, is best for you. Is this correct and how would you go about eating it????? Silly question but I'm curious?????
Follow me I post memes all day!!!!!!! Trying to wkae people up!!!!!!
lol i think i never heard this myth, but surely there a lot of crazy myths around, and people believe them hehe... Interesting read!
Haha, good stuff!
Firstly you'll need light for the seed to germinate and that's not going to happen unless you have a bulb inside you.
Am I the only one that ate the seeds since a kid, without any problem? Seems so normal and when I look at people who put them away I'm like : "what's wrong with you?"
Watermelons are so juicy !! i love them!!
hahahha....our stomach acid killed all.....upvote and resteem for u
lol I was convinced of this when I was a kid! Heck, I even thought pickle seeds could grow in you
interesting article
I love science, resteemed and followed :)
How would one pass a watermelon, if it grew in their stomach?
This was used to describe pregnant women when I was young. "She ate a watermelon seed."
I love to hug trees and say thank you to them.
My sister was pretty big when she was pregnant with my nephew and I was starting to wonder about those watermelon seeds! Thanks for clearing that up for me. Haha!
that is so funny, when i was little my mum always told me if i swallow a seed, a watermelon will grow in my belly and i believed her until very old age!!!
Engrossing. You made it on my list! https://steemit.com/steemit/@thelord/thelord-s-steem-picks-top-5-stories-on-steemit
good nice @tantawi
A watermelon seed might not grow in your stomch, but a cucumbet seed can grow in your mouth.
I had a molar tooth removed a few days before eating a cucumber sandwich. I was a lot younger and ate anything then. A few days, 10 or so, later the tooth hole was starting to swell and hurt like hell.
A few pokes and prods with a straightened paper clip and a cucumber seed with roots popped out, pain was gone, and a lot more caution in what I ate until the hole was properly healed
That's what my grandma used to say haha
been eating lots of seeds by accident. watermelon among them and even a huge Sandoricum koetjape seed but still here and steeming hehe
Haha... my mom told me the same thing... still waiting for the vines to come out of my ears!
and i used to think that its only Nigerian parents that tell this kind of myth...nice one @timsaid..still a newbie,need people like you to follow,hope you don't mind..? nice concept..."myth or fact"
excellent post friend very interesting, , I hope you can go through my blog and observe my publications that largely deal with the crisis that my country is currently experiencing ... hits @timsaid
jaajaja very good
HAHA, my parents used to tell us this garbage when I was a kid. ppfffftttt.... come on mom lol