If the biological growth stages are arranged in descending order of maturity, which word comes last? Words: Sapling, Tree, Plant, Seed. Interpret “descending” as moving from most mature to least mature.

Introduction / Context:
This item assesses your ability to interpret “descending order” in a natural-process sequence. For plant development, one can reasonably rank typical stages by maturity: the fully grown tree is most mature; a general “plant” (young/mid-growth) is less mature than a tree; a sapling is an even earlier stage; and a seed is the least mature starting unit. You must identify which item ends the list when arranged from the most mature to the least mature.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Terms: Tree (fully grown), Plant (generic, earlier than tree), Sapling (young plant), Seed (starting propagule).
• Descending order means from more mature to less mature.
• We use everyday meanings, not specialized botanical subcategories.

Concept / Approach:
A simple maturity ladder is: Tree → Plant → Sapling → Seed. “Tree” denotes a mature woody plant; “sapling” denotes a juvenile; “seed” is a dormant start. Therefore, when listing in descending order of maturity, the final term must be the least mature: the seed.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Choose a top-down maturity ranking: Tree > Plant > Sapling > Seed.Write them in descending order: Tree, Plant, Sapling, Seed.Identify the last word in that list: Seed.

Verification / Alternative check:
Try reversing (ascending): Seed, Sapling, Plant, Tree — this is the familiar growth progression. Reversing confirms that Seed is indeed last in the descending arrangement.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Sapling/Plant/Tree: Each is more mature than or equal to stages that should precede them in a descending-to-ascending comparison; none is the least mature.
• None of these: Not applicable, since Seed fits perfectly.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing “descending” with chronological order or misreading “plant” (generic term) as necessarily the youngest stage. In many reasoning contexts, “sapling” explicitly signals the juvenile stage, and “tree” the fully mature stage.

Final Answer:
Seed