Fruits – Sustainer of life of man on earth

Fruits – Sustainer of life of man on earth

Fruit, seed-bearing structure of a flowering plant. A fruit is actually a ripened ovary, a component of the flower’s female reproductive structure. Fertilization of the egg, or female sex cell, within the ovary stimulates the ovary to ripen, or mature. Depending on the type of plant, the mature ovary may form a juicy, fleshy fruit, such as a peach, mango, apple, plum, or blueberry. Or it may develop into a dry fruit, such as an acorn, chestnut, or almond. Grains of wheat, corn, or rice also are considered dry fruits. Certain foods commonly termed vegetables, including tomatoes, squash, peppers, and eggplant, technically are fruits because they develop from the ovary of a flower.

Fruits are vital to humans. Worldwide, over 475 million tons of fruit are produced each year, with China, India, Brazil, and the United States counted among the top producers. Corn, wheat, rice, and other grains were staple foods in early civilizations and are still a basic part of the human diet worldwide. Ten out of the eleven most important food crops in the world today are grains. Many of these dry fruits serve as the raw materials for important industries since they are processed into bread, beverages, and alcohol. Grains also are used as feed for livestock. Today the livelihood of countless farmers is directly related to the raising of these crops or the raising of the cows, pigs, sheep, and other animals that feed on them. Over 1.8 billion metric tons of the major grains—corn, wheat, and rice—were produced worldwide in 2002.

Many species of mammals, birds, and insects rely on fruit as an essential component of their diet. Fruits also play a critical role in dispersing seeds, increasing the likelihood that at least some will land in an environment favorable for germination, or sprouting, which helps to perpetuate the plant species. Birds, for example, help distribute seeds when they feed on berries. The seed within the berry passes through the bird’s digestive tract and is deposited at a location where, if conditions are favorable, it will flourish. Most of the 250,000 known species of seed-producing plants have survived because their fruits serve as the vehicles that help spread seeds.

Fruits come in a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors. The tiny floating plants known as water-meal are only 1 to 2 mm wide and have very small flowers. Their miniature ovaries develop into fruits that are barely visible. Watermelons, on the other hand, may be more than 60 cm long and weigh more than 20 kg. Jackfruits, found in the tropics, can weigh more than 40 kg. Diverse fruit shapes abound, including round grapefruits, oval eggplants, elongated bean pods, and star-shaped star anise. Pale to intense shades of orange, red, yellow, and even purple can be found in fleshy fruits, while dry fruits display many tones of brown.

Article on formation of fruits will be published by Legitfacts on the 18^th of December 2018