Fruits are an important and distinguishing feature of plants (angiosperms). The fruits are the result of reproduction, while the flower is a reproductive unit. Fruits are structures that contain seeds. It grows from a fully matured ovary. They include a lot of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Humans eat grapes, bananas, papaya, and watermelon, among other fruits. They are the most important component of a well-balanced diet.
Structure of a fruit
A fruit constitutes of the following parts:
-
Pericarp
-
Seeds
Pericarp
The pericarp is the ovarian wall that develops into the fruit wall. Fruit pericarps can be soft (as in guava, mango, and other tropical fruits) or dry (as in mustard, walnut, and other nuts). The pericarp is further divided into three layers, which include:
-
Epicarp: The peel is formed by the outermost layer.
-
Mesocarp: Fruits’ middle layer, which is fleshy and edible.
-
Endocarp: The seed is accommodated in the innermost layer, the inner rough part.
Seeds
Fertilised ovules have developed into seeds. It’s an embryonic plant with a protective shell around it.
Development of fruit
The creation of a fruit is the consequence of the maturation of one or more blooms, and the gynoecium of the flower forms all or part of the fruit.
-
Where egg cells are present in the megagametophyte, one or more ovules are discovered inside the ovary or ovaries.
-
After double fertilisation, these ovules become seeds. After then, the ovules are fertilised in a process that begins with pollination.
-
The transport of pollen from the stamens to the stigma of the flowers is known as pollination.
-
Pollen causes the growth of a tube from the stigma into the ovary to the ovule after pollination. In addition, two sperms from the pollen are transported to the megagametophyte.
-
The creation of a zygote occurs when one of the sperms joins the egg within the megagametophyte.
-
The second sperm enters the central cell and creates the endosperm mother cell, completing the process of double fertilisation.
-
Later, the seed’s embryos are generated by the zygote, and the endosperm mother cell produces endosperm, a nutritive tissue utilised by the embryo.
-
The ovary begins to ripen as the seeds develop into ovules, and the pericarp (ovary wall) may become mushy (as in berries or drupes) or a hard outer covering (such as in nuts).
-
The exocarp or epicarp, mesocarp, and endocarp are the two or four separate layers that make up the pericarp.
3 modes of fruit development
-
Apocarpous fruits are the simplest type of fruit, formed from a single flower with one or more distinct carpels.
-
Syncarpous fruit formation from a single gynoecium containing two or more fused carpels.
-
Multiple blossoms produce multiple fruits.
Difference kinds of fruits
Simple fruits
These are created by the ripening of a simple or compound ovary in a flower with only one pistil and can be fleshy or dry. Fruits that are dry or simple might be dehiscent or indehiscent. Strawberry, wheat, coconut, bean, radish seed, hazelnut, and other fruits fall into this category.
Aggregate fruits
Single blooms with several carpels that are not linked together produce these fruits. It denotes that each pistil has a single carpel. Each pistil produces a fruitlet, which is collectively referred to as etaerio. Aggregate fruits include raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
Multiple fruits
These are the fruits that grow from an inflorescence, which is a cluster of flowers. Fig, mulberry, pineapple, breadfruit, and other fruits have these blossoms that mature into a single mass.
Seedless fruits
Some commercial fruits are notable for their lack of seeds. Banana cultivars and pineapple cultivars are examples of seedless fruits. Citrus fruits (particularly grapefruit, mandarin oranges, and navel oranges), satsumas, table grapes, and watermelons varieties with no seeds are prized. Seedlessness occurs in several species as a result of parthenocarpy, or fruit formation without fertilisation. Pollination may or may not be required for a parthenocarpic fruit set, but most seedless citrus fruits require pollination to generate fruit.
Conclusion
Fruits are one of the most important sources of necessary vitamins and minerals for the body, and they are also required for optimal bodily functioning. Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, which helps humans avoid scurvy. Fruits are an essential part of a healthy diet since they deliver nutrients without adding calories to the diet. According to research, eating fruits can improve mental well-being and produce a positive mood.