Air dry cotyledons of soybean (Glycine max Merr. var. Wayne) imbibe water rapidly for about 10 minutes followed by a slower, linear rate of uptake. Leakage of solutes out of the coytledon likewise shows an initial rapid period, followed by a slower, nearly linear rate after 5 to 10 minutes; both the rapid and the steady rate leakage are greater for initially drier seeds. Respiratory activity of cotyledons as measured by manometric techniques becomes apparent after about 10 minutes of imbibition while polarographic studies of ground particles suggest that O(2) comsumption begins almost immediately upon wetting. Initial wetting of the seed causes the release of adsorbed gases, and a series of changes in volume of the seed-water mixture are charted. The data are interpreted as indicating that extensive physical changes occur in the first few minutes of water entry, including a rearrangement of membranes changing them from a relatively porous to a less permeable condition, and a release of adsorbed gases which cause an inflation or swelling of the seed.