origin; fundamental element; seed of things
Refers to the source or basic element from which something arises; often used in a philosophical or explanatory context. The word is somewhat literary and not an everyday term.
Curiosity is the origin of invention.
小さな失敗が成功の物種になることもある。
Small failures can sometimes become the seeds of success.
Compound of 物 (もの, 'thing') and 種 (だね, 'seed'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since classical Japanese to mean the origin or fundamental element of things.