Topic 6 : Fruit NEET Style Questions

Question

Identify the correct features of mango and coconut fruits. [NEET (Oct.) 2020]

(i) In both fruit is a drupe

(ii) Endocarp is edible in both

(iii) Mesocarp in coconut is fibrous and in mango it is fleshy

(iv) In both, fruit develops from monocarpellary ovary

Select the correct option.
(a)(i), (iii) and (iv)

(b)(i), (ii) and (iii)

(c)(i)and (iv)

(d)(i) and (ii)

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (a)
Both mango and coconut are drupe, belonging to the class of simple succulent fruits. These are also called stone fruit as the endocarp is stony and non-edible. These fruits develop from monocarpellary ovary. In coconut, epicarb is membranous and mesocarp is fibrous. In mango, mesocarp is fleshy and pulpy.
Thus, statements (i), (iii), (iv) are correct while (ii) is incorrect.

Question

An aggregate fruit is one which develops from [CBSE AIPMT 2014]

(a) multicarpellary syncarpous gynoecium

(b) multicarpellary apocarpus gynoecium

(d) multicarpellary superior ovary

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (b)
Aggregate fruits or etario are those fruits that develops from the multicarpellary apocarpus gynoecium (ovary). In contrast, a simple fruit develops from one ovary.
Aggregate fruit may also be called accessory fruits in which part of the flower other than the ovary become fleshy and form part of the fruit, e.g. raspberry, etc.

Question

How many plants in the list given below have composite fruits that develop from an inflorescence? [CBSE AIPMT 2012]
Walnut, poppy, radish, fig, pineapple, apple, tomato, mulberry

(a) Four

(b) Five

(d) Three

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (d)

Fig, pineapple and mulberry are composite fruits.

Question

The coconut water and the edible part of coconut are equivalent to [CBSE AIPMT 2012]

(a) endosperm

(b) endocarp

(d) embryo

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (a)

The coconut water obtained from the coconut is the free nuclear endosperm (made up of thousands of nuclei) and the surrounding white kernel is the cellular endosperm.

Question

A drupe develops in [CBSE AIPMT 2011, 1994]

(a) wheat

(b) pea

(d) mango

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (d)

In mango, coconut, plum, etc. the fruit is known as drupe (stony fruit). They develop from monocarpellary, superior ovaries and are one seeded. In mango, the pericarp is well differentiated into an outer thin epicarp, a middle fleshy edible mesocarp and an inner stony hard endocarp.

Question

A fruit developed from hypanthodium inflorescence is called [CBSE AIPMT 2009]

(a) hesperidium

(b) sorosis

(d) caryopsis

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (c)

Syconus fruit develops from hypanthodium inflorescence, e.g. Ficus carica, F. religiosa, $F$. benghalensis. The flask shaped receptacle encloses female flowers that gives rise to achene-like fruitlets. This fruit possesses a small pore protected by scaly leaves. The receptacle that becomes fleshy is edible.

Question

The fruit is chambered, developed from inferior ovary and has seeds with succulent testa in [CBSE AIPMT 2008]

(a) pomegranate

(b)orange

(d) cucumber

Ans. (a)

Balausta is special type of false or pseudocarpic berry, that develops from multilocular, syncarpous inferior ovary. The whole fruit is enclosed by a hard rind made up of exocarp (epicarp fused with thalamus) and part of mesocarp. Plate-like infoldings are

Answer/Explanation

developed by mesocarp. The papery endocarp covers the individual group of seeds. The seeds possess bright red juicy testa that form edible part of fruit, e.g. pomegranate.
The fruit of cucumber is pepo. In this the exocarp is not separable from mesocarp and the seeds from placentae.
The fruit of guava is berry. A berry is pulpy, indehiscent, few to multiseeded fruit derived from multicarpellary syncarpous gynoecium.
The fruit of orange is hesperidium. It develops from multicarpellary, syncarpous, multilocular, superior ovary with axile placentation.

Question

The fleshy receptacle of syconous of fig encloses a number of [CBSE AIPMT 2008]

(a) achenes

(b) samaras

(d) mericarps

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (a)

Syconus is a composite fruit that develops from hypanthodium inflorescence, e.g. Ficus carica, Ficus benghalensis. The flask-shaped receptacle encloses female flowers that give rise to achene-like fruitlets. This fruit possesses a small pore protected by scaly leaves. The receptacle that becomes fleshy is edible.
Samara is a single seeded, dry indehiscent fruit. Its pericarp becomes membranous and flat-like wings that help in dispersal, e.g. Ulmus, Holoptelia indica.
A berry is a pulpy-indehiscent, few to multiseeded fruit derived from multicarpellary syncarpous gynoecium. The fleshy pericarp of berry consists of three parts i.e. epicarp that make the rind of fruit, mesocarp and endocarp. Schizocarpic fruits are simple, dry, multiseeded fruits, which breakup into single seeded parts. The single seeded parts, which further do not dehisce are called mericarps.

Question

Dry indehiscent single-seeded fruit formed from bicarpellary syncarpous inferior ovary is [CBSE AIPMT 2008]

(a) caryopsis

(b) cypsela

(d) cremocarp

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (b)

Cypsela is dry indehiscent single seeded fruit that develops from unilocular, single ovulate inferior ovary of bicarpellary syncarpous gynoecium possessing basal placentation. The fruit wall develops from pericarp and thalamus and is thin and remains attached to the seed at one point, e.g. Helianthus.
Caryopsis is dry indehiscent, small, single seeded fruit develop from unilocular, single ovuled, superior ovary of multicarpellary gynoecium. It differs from typical achenes as their pericarp is completely fused with the seed coat testa, e.g. Poaceae.
Cremocarp are bilocular and two seeded schizocarpic fruits (small, dry) developed from inferior ovary of bicarpellary, syncarpous gynoecium possessing persistant stylopodium, e.g. Apiaceae.
Berry is a fleshy, indehiscent few to multiseeded fruit derived from multicarpellary syncarpous gynoecium. The fleshy pericarp of berry consists of epicarp, mesocarp and endocarp.

Question

Pineapple (ananas) fruit develops from [CBSE AIPMT 2006]

(a) a multipistillate syncarpous flower

(b) a cluster of compactly borne flowers on a common axis

(d) a unilocular polycarpellary flower

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (b)
The fruit of Ananas comosus (pineapple or ananas) is sorosis, (a type of multiple fruits), developing from spike, spadix or catkin. In this type, the flowers associate by their succulent tepals, the axis bearing them grows and becomes fleshy or woody, thus, the whole inflorescence turns into a compact fruit.

Question

Juicy hair-like structures observed in the lemon fruit develop from [CBSE AIPMT 2003]

(a) mesocarp and endocarp

(b) exocarp

(d) endocarp

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (d)

Lemon is a hesperidium type of fruit. Epicarp of this fruit contains many oil glands. Below epicarp is present a fibrous part which fuses with epicarp. this is known as mesocarp. While endocarp projects inwards and forms distinct chambers. Many unicellular juicy hairs are present on the inner side of endocarp which are edible parts of this fruit.

Question

Edible part in mango is [CBSE AIPMT 2002, 04]

(a) mesocarp

(b) epicarp

(d) epidermis

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (a)

Mango is a drupe fruit which develops from a monocarpellary, syncarpous, unilocular and superior ovary. Epicarp of mango fruit forms skin while mesocarp is fleshy and fibrous which is edible part of this fruit. Endocarp is hard and stony.

Question

Geocarpic fruits are produced by [CBSE AIPMT 2000, 02]

(a) onion

(b) watermelon

(d) carrot

Ans. (c)

Geocarpy refers to the ripening of fruits underground. In the case of ground nut, the young fruits are pushed into the soil as a result of post-fertilisation curvature

Answer/Explanation

of the stalk.

Question

Geocarpic fruit is [CBSE AIPMT 2002]

(a) potato

(b) groundnut.

(d) garlic

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (b)

The groundnut fruits ripen underground, the young fruits being pushed into the soil by a post-fertilisation curvature of the stalk.

Question

Which is correct pair for edible part? [CBSE AIPMT 2001]

(a) Tomato – Thalamus

(b) Maize $\quad-$ Cotyledons

(c)Guava – Mesocarp

(d) Date palm $\quad-$ Pericarp

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (d)
Each fruit of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is one seeded oblong berry. Fleshy pericarp of date palm is edible. We eat mesocarp of tomato, endosperm of maize and thalamus and pericarp of guava.

Question

Edible part of banana is [CBSE AIPMT 2001]

(a) epicarp

(b) mesocarp and less developed endocarp

(d) epicarp and mesocarp

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (b)

Fleshy mesocarp and rudimentary endocarp of banana are edible.
Banana (Musa sapientum) is a perennial herb and belongs to family-Musaceae.
A fully ripened fruit of banana contains near about $75.6 \%$ moisture, $20.4 \%$ sugars (mainly glucose and fructose), $1.2 \%$ starch, $2 \%$ fats, $1.22 \%$ protein, $6 \%$ crude fibres and $0.8 \%$ ash characteristic of Solanaceae.

Question

Edible part in litchi is [CBSE AIPMT 1999, 2005, 06]

(a) mesocarp

(b) fleshy aril

(d) pericarp

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (b)

Aril is a fleshy covering on the seed, arising as an upgrowth of the funicle or base of the ovule. It is the edible part of litchi.

Question

Which plant will lose its economic value if its fruits are produced by induced parthenocarpy? [CBSE AIPMT 1997]

(a) Grape

(b)Pomegranate

(d) Orange

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (b)

Testa is the edible part in pomegranate. It is not formed if fruits are produced by parthenocarpy (no seeds will be formed). Fruits of banana, grape and orange have seeds, so induced parthenocarpy in these fruits is beneficial.

Question

Which one of the following is a true fruit? [CBSE AIPMT 1996]

(a) Apple

(b) Pear

(d) Coconut

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (d)
Coconut is a true fruit, when a fruit. develops from ripened ovary, it is called true fruit as in majority of fruits. A false fruit develops from any part of the flower except the ovary, e.g. apple, pear, cashewnut and all composite fruits (mulberry, pine apple).

Question

Which part of the coconut produces coir? [CBSE AIPMT 1996]

(a) Seed coat

(b) Mesocarp

(d) Pericarp

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (b)

In coconut (drupe or stone fruit), epicarp is thin, mesocarp is fibrous, produces coir, endocarp bears three eye spots and encloses a single seed with brown testa, oily endosperm, embryo and watery fluid.

Question

Mango juice is got from [CBSE AIPMT 1989]

(a) epicarp

(b) mesocarp

(c)endocarp

(d) pericarp and thalamus

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (b)

In mango (a drupe)edible part is mesocarp, which is fibrous, pulpy and juicy.

Question

Fruit of groundnut is [CBSE AIPMT 1988]

(a) legume

(b) caryopsis

(d) nut

Answer/Explanation

Ans. (a)
Legume or pod develops from monocarpellary gynoecium. It is a dry dehiscent fruit occurs in Leguminosae (pea, gram, bean and groundnut).

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