A fruit is a seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant post-fertilisation in
sexually reproducing plants. After the process of fertilisation, usually all the parts of a flower wither
away,
except for the ovary and the ovules which mature into the fruits and the seeds, respectively. The fruits'
main
purpose is not merely to nourish you or please your palate. Yes! The main purpose of a fruit is to protect
the
seeds they enclose. In fact, in certain plants fruits can be inedible, unappealing or too little to be used
as
food. However, some fruit varieties such as bananas and grapes may not have seeds. These fruits are
parthenocarpic, or seedless fruits. Fruits of different plants can vary in shapes, colours, taste, texture,
nutritional value and even in longevity. Now let's take a closer look at the various parts of a fruit.
Parts of fruit
Fruit has two parts, pericarp and the seed. Seed is the developed ovule. Pericarp is the ripened ovary wall.
This pericarp could be thin and delicate, thin and rigid, or thick and meaty. Pericarp (fruit wall) is
differentiated into 3 layers:
Epicarp -outermost wall / Skin
Mesocarp - middle layer, tissue between epicarp and endocarp
Endocarp - innermost layer, Covering of the seed
However, the ovarian wall does not always develop into a juicy, delicious fruit like that in a peach or a
mango. For instance, it turns into a dry, brittle protective pod in kidney beans.
Types of fruits
True fruits - These fruits usually develop from a mature ovary. Example: mango, coconut, grapes
False fruits - These fruits develop from parts of the flower other than the ovary, such as the thalamus in case of apple.
