A surprising finding is that the orientation of the first division of the embryonic cell after zygote division is not random relative to the symmetry axis of the surrounding seed. Rather, division planes fall within a narrow range of 45°. Previously, it had been shown using marked sector analysis that the cell lineages that give rise to the left and right cotyledon are separated very early, perhaps before the 2- to 4-cell stage (Saulsberry et al., 2002). Therefore, our findings suggest that the orientation of the cotyledons within the seed is determined by tight control of the first embryonic cell division. This early determination could be biologically meaningful as the seed cavity that houses the embryo has a very defined shape, and the embryo axis and cotyledons occupy precise locations in this cavity at maturity. The early determination of cell division orientation, by positioning the axis of bisymmetry, could help to ensure that cotyledons are correctly positioned in the mature seed. The orienting influence at the first embryonic cell division is entirely unknown, and it is unclear whether it is of chemical or physical nature. What is clear though is that either the maternal tissues exert an effect on division orientation in the embryo or the developmental trajectory of the ovule prior to fertilization predisposes later embryonic cell division. Interestingly, this bias is not limited to the first cell, as later divisions in the apical protoderm are also biased to occur perpendicular to the left-right axis (Figure 3F). The testable prediction that follows from this finding is that mutations that affect seed coat structure or ovule development before fertilization will also cause abnormalities in embryonic cell division orientation, and perhaps in cotyledon positioning.