Fruit

Fruit (also called seed) is the part of a flowering plant (angiosperm) that develops from the flower after fertilization occurs. It typically consists of the ripened ovary (the female reproductive structure in the flower), and sometimes includes other parts of the flower as well. The primary function of fruit is to protect the seed and aid its dispersal to other locations.

The term 'fruit' has different meanings in culinary and botanical contexts. In everyday use, fruit refers to sweet edible items such as bananas and oranges. In botany, plants such as beans, peppers, cucumbers, and even grains produce fruit, although people commonly classify these as vegetables or grains.

Development

When pollen reaches the female part of the flower, fertilization occurs. After this, parts of the flower—such as the colored petals and stamens—drop away, while the ovary swells and its tissues change. The ripened ovarian tissue is called the pericarp, which forms the flesh of the fruit and protects the seed. The seed itself develops inside.

Types of fruit

Fruits are classified in several ways. Fleshy fruits with high water content include berries (such as grapes and beans) and drupes, which have a hard pit containing the seed (such as dates and bananas). Dry fruits include those that split open when ripe, like pea pods, and those that do not split, like nuts and legumes. Some fruits develop from multiple flowers or multiple ovaries, such as pineapples and raspberries.

Seed dispersal

Fruit structure typically reflects how the seed disperses. Sweet fleshy fruits attract birds and animals, which eat them and deposit the seeds elsewhere. Small-seeded fruits from certain trees are carried by wind. Others have small hooks that catch on animal fur, or they can float in water.

Ripening

Fruit ripening is a series of chemical changes: starch converts to sugar, cell walls soften, and color changes. Many fruits produce a gas called ethylene that triggers ripening, a process used in commercial fruit management after harvest.