Question

A fruit that develops from a ripened ovary is a ____________.

• A. Dry fruit
• B. Fleshy fruit
• C. True fruit
• D. False fruit

Answer 1

The correct option is C

True fruit

The correct option is C.

Explanation of the correct option :

1. A true fruit develops from a ripened ovary.
2. The ovary wall develops into pericarp which differentiates into 3 parts — epicarp, mesocarp, and endocarp.
3. Epicarp forms an outer thin skin of the fruit.
4. Mesocarp forms the middle-edible and fleshy part of the fruit.
5. Endocarp forms the innermost hard layer enclosing the seed.

Explanation of the incorrect option:

Option A:

1. Fruits may be fleshy or dry. In a fleshy fruit-like mango, all three regions of pericarp i.e., epicarp, mesocarp, and endocarp are distinct.
2. Fleshy fruits are juicy like mango, orange, and apple.

Option B:

1. In a dry fruit, the regions are not clear as the pericarp is dry, papery, and woody.
2. Dry fruits have thick and dry walls like almonds and walnuts.

Option D:

1. A false fruit is a fruit in which the pulpy edible part is not the wall of the ovary but a floral part like the thalamus.
2. The thalamus becomes juicy and fleshy. An actual fruit lies within the pericarp and is thin and discarded.
3. Example: apple is a false fruit.

Final answer: A fruit that develops from a ripened ovary is a true fruit.