What Is a Fruit?

Are you looking for an easy way to teach your child about fruits? We’ve put together a set of free materials that parents and teachers can use right away. In this lesson, your child will dive into the fascinating world of fruits.

We’ll explore how fruits develop from flowers and the different layers that protect their seeds. Explore science in a more engaging way with captivating 3D videos and interactive quizzes. Download our app to get started!

What You Will Learn From This Lesson

Where do fruits come from?

Fruits are colorful and beautiful parts of a plant, but do you know where they come from? To be precise, fruits develop from a specific part of the flower called the ovary. Once a flower’s petals wither and fall away, the ovary begins to grow and transform into a fruit.

Every fruit is made of two main parts: the seed and the pericarp. The seed is found on the inside, while the pericarp is the outer part that surrounds it. The pericarp is further divided into three layers:

• Exocarp: The outermost layer, which we usually call the fruit’s skin.
• Mesocarp: The middle layer, which is often the fleshy part we like to eat.
• Endocarp: The innermost layer that sits right next to the seed.

Different types of fruits

Plants produce many kinds of fruits, and they are categorized by how their pericarp feels and behaves when they ripen. Some are soft and juicy, while others are dry and hard.

Common fruit types include:

• Drupes: These fruits, like peaches and cherries, have a hard endocarp (the “pit”) surrounding the seed.
• Berries: These have a soft and juicy endocarp. Examples include blueberries and bright red currants.
• Legumes: When these fruits ripen, their pericarp becomes dry rather than juicy. Many legumes, such as peas and peanuts, have two slits on their pericarps and will split open when they are ready.
• Winged Fruits: Some fruits are designed for travel! The pericarp of a purpleblow maple extends like a pair of wings to help it fly. Other plants, like the Chinese ash, produce winged fruits with only one wing.

Fun Fact

• The “flesh” of a peach that you eat is scientifically known as the mesocarp.
• Not all fruits are juicy; peanuts are actually a type of dry fruit called a legume.
• Some fruits have wings so they can fly like birds to find new places to grow.
• A fruit is basically a grown-up version of a tiny part of a flower called the ovary.
• Blueberries are “berries” because their innermost layer stays soft and juicy.

Vocabulary

• Fruit: The colorful part of a plant that grows after a flower is finished blooming. It is like a protective “suitcase” for the seeds.
• Ovary: A tiny, hidden part at the base of a flower. After the petals fall off, this part swells up and grows into the fruit we see.
• Pericarp: The complete “wrapper” of the fruit. It’s everything except the seed, and it’s usually made of three different layers.
• Exocarp: The very outside layer, or the skin of the fruit. It acts like a raincoat to protect the inside from dirt and bugs.
• Mesocarp: The middle layer. In fruits like peaches, this is the thick, juicy flesh that we love to eat.
• Endocarp: The innermost layer that touches the seed. In some fruits, it’s soft; in others, it’s a hard “pit.”