The median longitudinal section of the seed shows that the embryo is peripheral and a basal body is present in the seed as a storage tissue or perisperm (Fig. 6.8) (Prego et al., 1998). In the mature seed, the endosperm is present only in the micropylar region of the seed and consists of one to two cell-layered tissue surrounding the hypocotyl–radicle axis of the embryo. The pericarp of quinoa seed is two-layered. The cells of the outer layer are large and papillose in shape, while the cells of the inner layer are tangentially stretched (Prego et al., 1998). The saponins are concentrated in the pericarp and have a bitter taste, so they need to be removed before consumption by washing or rubbing. If bitterness remains after processing the grain, it is probably due to remnants of the pericarp because the saponins are located in this layer (Villacorta and Talavera, 1976). Localization of stored reserves inside the seeds of quinoa show a marked compartmentalization similar to that seen in Amaranthus hypocondriacus seeds (Coimbra and Salema, 1994).