Question

Edible part of the banana is
A. Exocarp and Mesocarp
B. Mesocarp
C. Mesocarp and endocarp
D. Endocarp

Answer 1

Fruit is a mature ovary developed after fertilization. After fertilization, the ovary develops into fruit and ovules develop into seeds. The seeds are protected inside a fruit. But in some fruits, seeds are not found.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze each option to find out the correct answer.

Option A: Banana is an oblong berry fruit which is an indehiscent fruit with fleshy mesocarp and endocarp but fibrous exocarp (the banana peeling), banana is seedless fruit. Therefore, this is an incorrect option.
Option B: In fruits like grapes, bananas, seeds are not found, and such fruits are called parthenocarpic or seedless fruits. Mesocarp is the middle layer. It is thick and fleshy in mango, peach, and date palm. Banana is an oblong berry fruit. It has fleshy mesocarp and endocarp but fibrous exocarp (the banana peeling). The edible part in a banana is both mesocarp and endocarp. Therefore, this is an incorrect option.
Option C: Banana’s (Musa paradisiaca) fruit type is a berry. Banana fruit develops from monocarpellary or multicarpellary syncarpous ovaries. In bananas, the mesocarp is less developed and the endocarp is well developed. In bananas, the fertilized ovary develops into the fruit, the ovules make seed and the ovary wall develops into the fruit wall, the pericarp. The pericarp is a thick layer with three distinct layers namely, the outermost mostly pigmented exocarp, middle mesocarp, and the innermost endocarp. Banana is an oblong berry fruit which is an indehiscent fruit with fleshy mesocarp and endocarp but fibrous exocarp (the banana peeling), banana is seedless fruit, if seeded, seeds are present inside the perisperm. Thus, the edible part in a banana is mesocarp and endocarp. Therefore, this is the correct option.
Option D: Banana is an oblong berry fruit. It has fleshy mesocarp and endocarp but fibrous exocarp (the banana peeling). The edible part in a banana is both mesocarp and endocarp. Therefore, this is an incorrect option.

Thus, the correct answer is option is (C) Mesocarp and endocarp.

Note: It is to be noted that fruits may be categorized into true fruits and false fruits. True fruits are derived from the ovary of a flower and are not associated with monocarpellary parts, example: Mango, Banana, Grapes. The fruits that derived from the ovary along with other accessory floral parts are called false fruits, for example Apple, fig, etc.