Fruits - Formation, Parts and Types of Fruits: Definition, Classification, Examples, & Facts
Fruit is formed when the ovary matures after fertilisation. Seeds are enclosed inside the fruit. The formation of fruits happens after fertilisation, where the maturation and differentiation of the ovary occurs, forming different layers of the fruit. Fruits are classified broadly into true fruits and false fruits, depending on the maturation of the ovary.
This Story also Contains
- What is a Fruit?
- Formation of Fruits
- Parts of a Fruit
- Types of Fruits
- MCQs on Fruits
- Recommended video on "Fruits"
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They can also be divided into simple, aggregate, and multiple fruits, depending on how many ovaries mature into the fruit. The type of fruit also determines the seed dispersal by animals, wind, or water. They are economically important in food and agriculture. Fruits are an important topic in the field of biology.
What is a Fruit?
Fruits are the mature ovary of a flowering plant, usually containing seeds, serving as an important means of seed protection and dispersion until they are ready to germinate. They have a great variety of shapes and sizes. They differ in the way of dispersal, like being fleshy fruits, for example, apples and berries, or dry, for example, nuts and grains.
Fruits are one of the essential components in human diets that provide an extensive range of nutrient resources available in the form of vitamins, minerals, and other dietary fibres that maintain sound and healthy appeal through good health and well-being. Fruits also are enriched with agricultural profitability, they contribute to economic activity by offering a living to people through trade and industries spread across the world in fresh consumption, processing, and related by-products.
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Formation of Fruits
Fruits form after fertilisation when the ovary of the flower matures and develops into a fruit, enclosing the seeds formed from ovules. Fruit formation is explained below-
Pollination and Fertilisation
Definition and process of pollination.
It is the transfer of pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma, thereby leading to fertilisation.
Types of pollination:
There are two types of pollination- Self-pollination and cross-pollination. Self-pollination takes place either in the same flower or among flowers on the same plant. On the other hand, cross-pollination occurs among different plants.
Fertilisation process in plants
After the process of pollination, one of the pollen grains germinates onto the stigma and grows down a pollen tube to the ovary, where the sperm cells can fertilise the ovules.
Development of the Ovary into Fruit
Fruit development is explained below-
Post-fertilisation changes in the ovary
After fertilisation, the ovary undergoes many changes whereby it becomes a fruit which acts to protect the seeds under development.
Role of hormones in fruit development.
The hormones auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins control fruit development by promoting cell division and cell expansion.
Stages of fruit development:
The development of fruit involves the primary growth of individual cells subject to an initial increase in their number by cell division, and is followed by cell differentiation that finally leads to mature and ripe fruits ready for seed dispersal.
Parts of a Fruit
A typical fruit consists of the pericarp (outer wall of the ovary), which is divided into three layers—epicarp, mesocarp, and endocarp—and the seeds inside. The fruit parts are explained below-
Pericarp
The pericarp refers to that portion of the fruit developed after fertilisation, forming the wall of the ovary, usually surrounding seeds. The pericarp consists of three layers: the exocarp, a skin covering the outer surface of the ovary; the mesocarp, a fleshy layer beneath the exocarp; and the endocarp, the innermost layer around the seed.
Seed
A seed may be defined as the fertilised ovule, primarily comprising the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat.
Importance of seeds in the reproduction of plants
The seed has a huge significance to a plant's life, and its dispersal leads to further propagation of the species. It is a process in which plants produce their next generation.
Accessory Parts
These are the additional structures of the fruit that form a part of the fruit but are not derived from the ovary. Examples include apple hypanthium and strawberry receptacle. Besides protecting seeds from injury, sometimes fruits provide for the ease of dispersal. Example: Apple (hypanthium), Strawberry (receptacle).
Types of Fruits
Fruits are classified into simple, aggregate, and multiple types based on their origin. The fruit types are explained below-
Simple Fruits
For simple fruits derived from one ovary, the pericarp might be fleshy or dry.
Examples include Berries (tomato, grape), Drupes (cherry, peach), and Pomes (apple, pear).
Aggregate Fruits
Fleshy fruit from several ovaries of a single flower, with each ovary swelled to give a small fruitlet.
Examples include Strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry.
Multiple Fruits
Multiple fruits are formed from the ovaries of multiple flowers that grow in a cluster.
Examples include Pineapple, fig, and mulberry.
MCQs on Fruits
Q1. When the whole inflorescence forms the fruit, it is called
Option 1: Aggregate fruit
Option 2: Simple dry fruit
Option 3: Composite fruit
Option 4: Simple fleshy fruit
Correct Answer: (3) Composite fruit
Explanation:
Fruits can be categorised under three major classes:
Simple Fruits develop from a single ovary. They can be either fleshy or dry.
Aggregate Fruits come from a bunch of multiples attached to a single flower that create fruitlets. Good examples include strawberries and raspberries.
Composite Fruits, or false fruits, are formed from an entire inflorescence, combining multiple ovaries and floral parts, such as jackfruit and figs.
Hence, the correct answer is Option 3)Composite fruit.
Q2. The edible portion in mango is
Option 1: Mesocarp
Option 2: Epicarp
Option 3: Endocarp
Option 4: All of these
Correct Answer: (1) Mesocarp
Explanation:
The fleshy mesocarp is the edible portion of the mango. The fleshy mesocarp of the mango is rich in sugars, making it sweet and juicy, and is the edible portion consumed by humans. It is a highly nutritious fruit, packed with vitamins A, C, and E, along with dietary fibre and antioxidants. The mango fruit is a drupe, with the mesocarp surrounding a hard endocarp that encases the seed. Known as the "king of fruits," mangoes are enjoyed fresh, dried, or as part of beverages, desserts, and savoury dishes worldwide.
Hence, the correct answer is option (1) Mesocarp
Q3. The coconut water and the edible part of the coconut are equivalent to:
Option 1: Endosperm
Option 2: Endocarp
Option 3: Mesocarp
Option 4: Embryo
Correct Answer: (1) Endosperm
Explanation:
In mango edible part is mesocarp. In ber both epicarp and mesocarp are edible and endocarp is drupe. In almonds & walnuts, the edible part is seed. In coconut, the epicarp is hard & firm, and the mesocarp is thick & consists of fibers. The endocarp is hard & seed is protected in it. The sweet water of coconut is liquid & solid endosperm.
Hence, the correct answer is option 1) Endosperm.
Other Useful Resources:
Recommended video on "Fruits"
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Fruits attract animals: Most fruits are colourful and sweet attracting fruit-eating animals which are capable of consuming the fruits, and the seeds they cannot digest or break down in their systems are excreted, and mixed with faeces often hardy and ready to sprout.
Fleshy mechanisms of fruits: There exist varieties of structures in some fruits, which help in their dispersion. Wings and hooks allow them to pass through the wind and attach to the bodies of animals.
Aquatic seed dispersal: Some fruits float and are moved by water, where their seeds start new areas.
Parthenocarpy: Almost all seedless fruits are the result of parthenocarpy, or fruit growth without fertilization.
Hormonal treatments: Other times people spray plants with giberelins, a type of synthetic plant hormone, to create seedless fruit.
Gene mutations: Some plants have undergone specific types of genetic mutations and are grown to produce seedless fruits; seedless fruits include some varieties of grapes and bananas.
A powerhouse of nutrients: By nature itself, fruits are powerhouses of many essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help your health.
Sources of dietary fibre: Most fruit is a good source of fibre, thus supporting digestion and a healthy weight.
Disease prevention: Eating fruits regularly will help prevent chronic illness; including heart diseases, cancers, and diabetes.
Structure of the ovary: The number of seeds might be determined by the structure of the ovary and the number of ovules inside its chamber.
Evolutionary adaptation: The more seeds in the fruit, the more it ensures it will reproduce, whereas a single-seeded fruit may show greater efficiency in the dispersal process.
Examples: Drupes like peaches are single-seeded, but berries like tomatoes are multiseeded.
The fruits are the ripened ovary of a plant, which comprises seeds that it carries inside it. The vegetables are the other parts of the plant like the roots, stems, or even the leaves.
Culinary classification: Under this classification, most things fall under the fruit category. These are the items that are majorly sweet or sour and go into making the dessert dishes. The vegetables on the other hand are the savory elements and thus appear in the main course.
Examples: Tomatoes and cucumbers, amongst others, are botanically classified as fruits, but are called vegetables.