Question

What would be expected to happen if a rotten fruit gets mixed with unripe fruits?

Answer 1

1. If a rotten fruit gets mixed with unripe fruit then the ripening of the unripe fruit will be triggered because of the ethylene released from rotten fruit.
2. Ethylene is a plant hormone that is responsible for ripening of fruits.
3. Ethylene production by plants is autocatalytic, which means that a small amount of ethylene will stimulate production of its larger amounts. Thus, a few ripe fruits will initiate ripening of nearby fruits.
4. Generally some ripe bananas are kept with unripe bananas to quicken the ripening process as this is a very common practice.