The term 'Plant GERM' can be broken down into two words, 'SEED' and 'GERM'. A SEED is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the SEED coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant. A GERM is an organism or microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus, that can cause disease. Plant germs are microorganisms that can cause diseases in plants, such as fungi, bacteria, and viruses.