Question

A non-biology person is quite shocked to know that the apple is a false fruit, mango is a true fruit and banana is seedless fruit. As a biology student, how would you satisfy this person?

Answer 1

A fruit develops from the ovary part of a flower. The fruit consists of two parts that includes an outer fruit wall known as the pericarp, which develops from the ovary, and the seed which develops from the ovule. Ovule is enclosed within the ovary of a flower.

Complete answer:
The fruit which develops from the ovary is called true fruit. Most of the fruits are true fruits. Most of the fruits are true fruits as they are formed from ovaries. If any other floral part (excluding ovary) takes part in the fruit formation, it is called false fruit or pseudocarp. Apples and pears are the best examples of false fruits. If the fruit is formed without fertilization of the ovary, it is called a parthenocarpic fruit. These are generally the seedless fruits such as bananas, grapes, and others.

The fruits with dry pericarp are known as dry fruits, whereas those with a fleshy pericarp are known as succulent fruits. When the pericarp is thick and fleshy, it is differentiated into the outer epicarp, the middle mesocarp, and the inner endocarp. Mangoes belong to the class known as drupe where the pericarp is differentiated into outer thin epicarp, fleshy Mesocarp, and stony endocarp. Whereas, apple belongs to the class known as pome which is simple, false fruit surrounded by fleshy thalamus

Fruits can be classified into simple, aggregate, and multiple fruits based on the number of ovaries and flowers participating in the formation of fruits. Simple fruits develop from the ovary of the single flower with or without accessory parts. Aggregate fruits are formed from polycarpellary, apocarpous ovaries. Multiple fruits are the fruits that developed from the entire inflorescence.

Note:- Fruits can develop from the ovary as well as from any other floral parts. Depending upon this, the fruits can be grouped into categories, namely, true and false fruits. Some fruits bear single seed such as mangoes, while others may contain a large number of small seeds such as Kiwi.