![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Weat_kernel.gif/640px-Weat_kernel.gif&w=640&q=50)
Cereal germ
Reproductive part of a grass seed / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The germ of a cereal grain is the part that develops into a plant;[1] it is the seed embryo.[2] Along with bran, germ is often a by-product of the milling[3] that produces refined grain products. Cereal grains and their components, such as wheat germ oil,[4] rice bran oil, and maize bran,[5] may be used as a source from which vegetable oil is extracted, or used directly as a food ingredient. The germ is retained as an integral part of whole-grain foods.[6] Non-whole grain methods of milling are intended to isolate the endosperm, which is ground into flour, with removal of both the husk (bran) and the germ. Removal of bran produces a flour with a white rather than a brown color and eliminates fiber. The germ is rich in polyunsaturated fats (which have a tendency to oxidize and become rancid on storage) and so germ removal improves the storage qualities of flour.[7]
![Detailed illustration of the different parts constituting a wheat kernel.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Weat_kernel.gif/320px-Weat_kernel.gif)