Fruit & Fruit Development

Question 1

Botanical definition of fruit

Answer 1

one or more mature ovaries together with accessory tissues

Question 2

Horticultural definition of fruit

Answer 2

one or more mature ovaries together with accessory tissues that is high in sugar content and eaten as a dessert or sweet snack

Question 3

Flower structures that lead to fruit structures

Answer 3

ovary position
multiple separate ovaries per flower
multiple flowers

Question 4

Ovary positions

Answer 4

superior (above), grape, berries

inferior (below), apple, pome fruit, primarily receptacle tissue

Question 5

Multiple ovaries per flower characteristics

Answer 5

whole flower
whole fruit
blackberry, raspberry - aggregate fruit

Question 6

Multiple flowers characteristics

Answer 6

pineapple, multiple fruit that is ovary tissue fused together
receptacles and ovaries develop into fruit

Question 7

Ovary wall structure

Answer 7

pericarp 
-exocarp (outer)
-mesocarp
-endocarp (inner)
simple fruits:
all 3 fleshy - berry
endocarp stony - drupe
all 3 hard - nut

Question 8

Factors that affect fruit size

Answer 8

numbers of cells per fruit
number of leaves per fruit
intra-plant competition for photosynthate
seed formation

Question 9

Fruit growth stages after pollination and fertilization

Answer 9

cell division
cell expansion
ripening

Question 10

Fruit growth pattern

Answer 10

cell division, sets potential for ultimate size of fruit

cell expansion, achieves mature size

Question 11

Leaves are the sources of what?

Answer 11

photosynthate/photosynthesis

Question 12

developing fruits are sources of sinks?

Answer 12

sinks

Question 13

source is
sink is
(supplier of user)

Answer 13

source is a supplier

sink is a user

Question 14

more leaves PER fruit usually means

Answer 14

a larger fruit

Question 15

Intra-plant competition definition

Answer 15

leaves - fruit ratio
-not enough leaves per fruit
-too many fruits, too little leaves
essentially, removing some fruits very early in their development can allow those that remain to increase in size

Question 16

How far can you go with reducing competition?

Answer 16

not very far because genetics of the species will limit

Question 17

What about seeds affect fruit size?

Answer 17

amount and distribution

Question 18

Each developing seed does something that makes fruit develop

Answer 18

sends a hormonal signal (auxin) that stimulates pericarp and/or receptacle development

Question 19

Seed formation (few seeds vs many seeds)

Answer 19

few seeds develop - fruit will be mishapen

many seeds develop - fruit will abort

Question 20

the exception to fruit that can develop without any pollination

Answer 20

parthenocarpy - the development of fruit without prior fertilization
examples: bananas, navel oranges, seedless grapes

Question 21

Other hormone effects

Answer 21

fruit shape and size can be altered by application of hormones
-auxin and gibberellic acid
examples: seedless grapes, larger
red delicious apples, more lobed

Question 22

Horticulture manipulation

Answer 22

Thinning the crop

fruit thinning to increase fruit size