Download A fertilized, fully grown, and ripened ovary containing a

A fertilized, fully grown, and ripened ovary containing a seed forms
what we know as fruit, important seed dispersal agents for plants.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Recall the evolutionary advantage of fruits
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
Scientists classify fruit in many different categories that include descriptions, such as mature,
fleshy, and dry; only a few are actually classified as being fleshy and sweet.
Some fruit are developed from ovaries, while others develop from the pericarp, from clusters of
flowers, or from separate ovaries in a single flower.
Fruit are vital dispersal agents for plants; their unique shapes and features evolved to take
advantage of specific dispersal modes.
Dispersal methods of seeds within fruit include wind, water,herbivores, and animal fur.
TERMS [ edit ]
hypanthium
the bowl­shaped part of a flower on which the sepals, petals, and stamens are borne
fruit
the seed­bearing part of a plant, often edible, colorful, and fragrant, produced from a floral ovary
after fertilization
pericarp
the outermost layer, or skin, of a ripe fruit or ovary
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [ edit ]
Fruit
In botany, a fertilized, fully­grown, and
ripened ovary is a fruit. As the seed
develops, the walls of the ovary in which it
forms thicken and form the fruit,
enlarging as the seeds grow. Many foods
commonly­called vegetables are actually
fruit. Eggplants, zucchini, string beans,
and bell peppers are all technically fruit
because they contain seeds and
are derivedfrom the thick ovary tissue.
Acorns are nuts and winged, maple
Register for FREE to stop seeing ads
whirligigs (whose botanical name is samara) are also fruit. Botanists classify fruit into more
than two dozen different categories, only a few of which are actually fleshy and sweet.
Mature fruit can be fleshy or dry. Fleshy fruit include the familiar berries, peaches, apples,
grapes, and tomatoes. Rice, wheat, and nuts are examples of dry fruit. Another distinction is
that not all fruits are derived from the ovary. For instance, strawberries are derived from the
receptacle, while apples are derived from the pericarp, or hypanthium. Some fruits are
derived from separate ovaries in a single flower, such as the raspberry. Other fruits, such as
the pineapple, form from clusters of flowers. Additionally, some fruits, like watermelon and
oranges, have rinds.
Regardless of how they are formed, fruits are an agent of seed dispersal. The variety of
shapes and characteristics reflect the mode of dispersal, whether it be wind, water, or
animals . Wind carries the light dry fruit of trees and dandelions . Water transports floating
coconuts. Some fruits attract herbivores with color or perfume, or as food. Once eaten, tough,
undigested seeds are dispersed through the herbivore's feces. Other fruits have burs and
hooks to cling to fur and hitch rides on animals.
Wind dispersal
The winged shape of Alsomitra macrocarpa's seeds allow them to use wind for dispersal. They can,
therefore, glide for great distances.
Fruit dispersal
A fruit's distinctive shape and specialized characteristics will determine its dispersal mechanism