Seed and Fruit Questions in English

(B) The correct answer is $B$.
Viability of seeds can be determined by two primary methods: $(i)$ testing the ability to germinate,and $(ii)$ testing the ability to respire.
All living,viable seeds perform respiration.
This metabolic activity can be tested by immersing a section of the seed containing the embryo in a $0.1\%$ solution of $2, 3, 5$-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride.
In viable seeds,the dehydrogenase enzymes present in the living embryo reduce the colourless triphenyl tetrazolium chloride into an insoluble red-coloured dye called triphenyl formazan.
Therefore,the embryo turns pink or red,indicating that the seed is viable.

(A) The oldest viable seed is of $Lupinus arcticus$ (Arctic lupine).
It was excavated from Arctic Tundra.
This seed germinated and flowered after an estimated record of $10,000$ years of dormancy.

(D) false fruit (or accessory fruit) is a fruit in which some of the flesh is derived not from the ovary,but from some adjacent tissue such as the receptacle or floral parts.
In plants like apple,strawberry,and cashew,the thalamus contributes to fruit formation.
Therefore,all the given options are examples of false fruits.

(B) The seed of $Phoenix$ $dactylifera$ (date palm) was discovered during the archaeological excavation at King Herod's palace near the Dead Sea.
This seed is known for its extreme longevity,remaining viable for approximately $2,000$ years.
In contrast,$Lupinus$ $arcticus$ seeds were excavated from the Arctic Tundra and are known to have germinated after $10,000$ years of dormancy.

(A) Parthenocarpy is the process of fruit development without fertilization.
Since fertilization does not occur,these fruits are typically seedless.
Banana is a classic example of a naturally occurring parthenocarpic fruit.
Apple is a false fruit (thalamus contributes to fruit formation),and Mango is a true fruit that develops after fertilization.
Therefore,the correct option is $A$.

(D) Seeds in which the endosperm is completely consumed by the developing embryo before seed maturation are called non-albuminous or ex-albuminous seeds.
Examples of such seeds include pea,groundnut,and beans.
In contrast,albuminous seeds (like castor and coconut) retain a part of the endosperm in the mature seed.
Therefore,the correct pair of seeds where the endosperm is completely consumed is groundnut and pea.

(D) The given diagram represents the structure of a maize grain,which is a monocot seed (caryopsis).
In a caryopsis,the seed coat is fused with the fruit wall (pericarp).
Label $X$ points to the outermost layer,which consists of the fused seed coat and fruit wall.
Label $Y$ points to the large,starchy storage tissue known as the endosperm.

(D) In most seeds,the nucellus is completely consumed during the development of the embryo. However,in some seeds such as black pepper and beet,remnants of the nucellus are persistent. This residual,persistent nucellus is called the perisperm.

(B) $1$. Non-albuminous seeds are those in which the endosperm is completely consumed during embryo development (e.g.,Pea,Groundnut). This is a correct pair.
$2$. Perisperm is the remnant of the nucellus in a seed. It is found in seeds like Black pepper and Beet,not in Oats or Wheat (which are monocot seeds with endosperm). Thus,this is the false pair.
$3$. False fruits are those where the thalamus also contributes to fruit formation (e.g.,Apple,Strawberry,Cashew). This is a correct pair.
$4$. Dry fruits are those that do not become fleshy at maturity (e.g.,Mustard,Groundnut). This is a correct pair.

(C) Orchids are well-known for producing a massive number of tiny seeds within a single fruit.
Each orchid fruit contains thousands of minute seeds, which is an adaptation for wind dispersal.
In contrast, plants like $Phoenix$ $dactylifera$ (date palm) and Mango typically produce a single seed per fruit.
Therefore, the correct answer is Orchids.

(B) In flowering plants,after the process of fertilization,the ovules develop into seeds and the ovary matures to form the fruit.
This transformation is a characteristic feature of angiosperms,where the ovary wall develops into the pericarp (fruit wall) and the internal ovules become seeds.

(A) The $Hilum$ is a scar on the seed coat through which the developing seeds were attached to the fruit.
It represents the point of attachment of the funicle to the seed body.
$Micropyle$ is a small pore above the $Hilum$ that facilitates the entry of water and oxygen during seed germination.
$Plumule$ is the embryonic shoot,and the $Aleurone$ layer is a protein-rich layer found in the endosperm of monocot seeds.

(D) monocot seed,such as maize,typically contains a single cotyledon (scutellum),a plumule,a radicle,a seed coat,a hilum,a micropyle,and an endosperm (often surrounded by an aleurone layer).
Option $D$ mentions 'two cotyledons',which is a characteristic feature of dicot seeds,not monocot seeds. Therefore,this structure is not found in a monocot seed.

(B) In most mature dicot seeds (non-endospermic or exalbuminous seeds),the endosperm is consumed during the development of the embryo. Therefore,the food is stored in the cotyledons,and the endosperm is absent in the mature seed. Examples include pea,bean,and gram seeds.

(A) Assertion $(A)$: In flowering plants,the ovary matures into a fruit after the process of fertilization. This is a standard botanical definition.
Reason $(R)$: Parthenocarpy is the phenomenon where fruits develop without the process of fertilization. Such fruits are seedless. This is also a correct statement.
Since both statements are scientifically accurate,the correct option is $A$.

(B) Groundnut $(Arachis \, hypogaea)$ is a dicotyledonous plant.
In dicot seeds, the food reserves are primarily stored in the cotyledons.
Since the endosperm is consumed during the development of the embryo, the mature seeds are non-endospermic (exalbuminous).
Therefore, the oil, which serves as a food reserve, is stored in the cotyledons of the groundnut seed.

(D) true fruit is defined as a fruit that develops exclusively from the ovary of a flower after fertilization.
In contrast,false fruits (pseudocarps) develop from other floral parts such as the thalamus or receptacle in addition to the ovary.
$1$. Apple and Pear are false fruits because their fleshy part develops from the thalamus.
$2$. Cashew is also considered a false fruit as the peduncle (stalk) becomes fleshy.
$3$. Coconut is a true fruit (a drupe) that develops solely from the ovary.

(B) The edible part of the litchi $(Litchi chinensis)$ is the fleshy,succulent outgrowth that develops from the base of the ovule,which is known as the aril.
Therefore,the correct option is $B$.

(C) In some seeds,such as black pepper and beet,remnants of the nucellus are also persistent. This residual,persistent nucellus is called perisperm.
Castor ($Ricinus$ $communis$) is a seed that contains both endosperm (as it is an albuminous seed) and perisperm (remnants of nucellus).
Therefore,the correct option is $C$.

(A) In $Cashew$ $(Anacardium \text{ } occidentale)$, the fleshy part is the swollen peduncle (also called the hypocarp).
In $Litchi$ $(Litchi \text{ } chinensis)$, the edible fleshy part is the succulent aril, which develops from the base of the ovule and covers the seed.

(D) Non-albuminous seeds,also known as exalbuminous seeds,are those in which the endosperm is completely consumed by the developing embryo before the seed matures.
In these seeds,food is stored in the cotyledons.
Examples of non-albuminous seeds include pea,bean,and groundnut.
In contrast,maize,castor,and wheat are examples of albuminous (endospermic) seeds,where the endosperm persists in the mature seed.
Therefore,the correct option is $D$.

(D) Vivipary is the phenomenon where seeds germinate while still attached to the parent plant. In annual cereal crops,if seeds germinate on the mother plant,they cannot be harvested,dried,and stored for the next season. This makes the seeds unsuitable for agricultural storage and future sowing,thereby negatively impacting the economic productivity and utility of the crop.

(B) In some seeds,such as black pepper and beet,remnants of the nucellus are persistent. This residual,persistent nucellus is known as the perisperm.
Since the nucellus is a part of the ovule and is composed of diploid maternal tissue $(2n)$,the perisperm is also diploid $(2n)$.

(C) In non-albuminous or exalbuminous seeds,the endosperm is completely consumed by the developing embryo during seed maturation.
Examples of such seeds include pea,bean,and groundnut.
In contrast,albuminous seeds like castor,coconut,and maize retain a portion of the endosperm in the mature seed.

(D) Parthenocarpic fruits are fruits that develop without the process of fertilization.
In these fruits,the ovary develops into a fruit without being fertilized by pollen grains.
Banana is a classic example of a naturally occurring parthenocarpic fruit,as it is seedless and develops without fertilization.

(B) Parthenocarpy is the development of fruit without fertilization,which results in seedless fruits.
For many fruits like grapes and bananas,seedlessness is a desirable trait that increases their economic value.
However,for fruits like pomegranates,the edible part is the juicy seed coat (aril).
If a pomegranate is produced via parthenocarpy,it will be seedless,meaning it will lack the edible arils,thereby significantly decreasing its economic value.

(B) Vivipary is a phenomenon where seeds germinate while still attached to the parent plant. In annual crop plants,this is highly undesirable because if seeds germinate on the mother plant,they cannot be harvested,dried,or stored for the next planting season. This makes the storage of seeds for agricultural purposes impossible,leading to a loss of the crop yield and the inability to preserve seeds for future use.

(B) In some seeds,such as black pepper and beet,remnants of the nucellus are persistent. This residual,persistent nucellus is known as the $Perisperm$.

(A) The coconut fruit has a fibrous mesocarp that traps air,making it buoyant. This allows the fruit to float on seawater and travel long distances across oceans. Because the fruit is resistant to saltwater and remains viable for a long time,it can germinate after being washed ashore on distant coastal areas. Thus,the wide distribution of coconut trees in coastal regions is directly due to this mechanism of water dispersal (hydrochory). Therefore,both the Assertion and the Reason are correct,and the Reason is the correct explanation of the Assertion.

(D) Seeds are highly adaptive structures for plants for the following reasons:
$1.$ They maintain dormancy,which allows seeds to survive unfavorable environmental conditions until favorable conditions return.
$2.$ The seed coat provides protection to the young embryo during its most vulnerable developmental stages.
$3.$ Seeds contain stored food (in the endosperm or cotyledons) that provides nourishment to the developing seedling until it can perform photosynthesis. Additionally,seeds possess various mechanisms that facilitate their dispersal to new habitats.
Therefore,all the given statements are correct.

(D) The plant part which consists of two generations one within the other is the $seed$.
In a $seed$, the embryo represents the next generation (sporophyte), which is enclosed within the maternal tissues (seed coat and remains of the ovule) of the parent plant.
Specifically, the $seed$ contains the embryo (new generation) protected by the seed coat, which is derived from the integuments of the ovule (parental generation).

(N/A) Seed germination is the process by which a seed develops into a new plant. It involves several key stages:
$1$. Imbibition: The seed absorbs water,causing it to swell and rupture the seed coat $(testa)$.
$2$. Activation: Metabolic activities resume,and enzymes are activated to break down stored food reserves.
$3$. Emergence of Radicle: The radicle (embryonic root) emerges first,growing downwards into the soil to anchor the plant and absorb water.
$4$. Emergence of Plumule: The plumule (embryonic shoot) grows upwards towards the light. In epigeal germination (as shown in the diagram),the hypocotyl elongates,pushing the cotyledons above the soil surface.
$5$. Development: The cotyledons provide initial nutrition until the first true leaves develop and the plant begins photosynthesis.
The provided diagram illustrates the germination of a bean seed,showing the emergence of the radicle,the elongation of the hypocotyl,and the development of the epicotyl and true leaves.

(N/A)

Hypocotyl	Epicotyl
$1.$ The portion of the embryonal axis which lies below the cotyledon in a dicot embryo is known as the hypocotyl.	$1.$ The portion of the embryonal axis above the cotyledon in a dicot embryo is known as the epicotyl.
$2.$ It terminates with the radicle.	$2.$ It terminates with the plumule.

$(b)$

Coleoptile	Coleorhiza
It is a conical protective sheath that encloses the plumule in a monocot seed.	It is an undifferentiated sheath that encloses the radicle and the root cap in a monocot seed.

$(c)$

Integument	Testa
It is the protective covering of an ovule.	It is the outermost hard covering of a seed,developed from the outer integument.

$(d)$

Perisperm	Pericarp
It is the residual nucellus which persists in some seeds such as beet and black pepper.	It is the ripened wall of a fruit,which develops from the wall of an ovary.

(N/A) Fruits derived from the ovary and other accessory floral parts are called false fruits.
On the contrary,true fruits are those fruits which develop from the ovary,but do not consist of the thalamus or any other floral part.
In an apple,the fleshy receptacle (thalamus) forms the main edible part of the fruit.
Since the fruit develops from the thalamus instead of just the ovary,it is classified as a false fruit.

(N/A) In angiosperms,the seed is the final product of sexual reproduction.
It is often described as a fertilised ovule. Seeds are formed inside fruits. $A$ seed typically consists of seed coat$(s)$,cotyledon$(s)$,and an embryo axis. The cotyledons of the embryo are simple structures,generally thick and swollen due to the storage of food reserves (as in legumes).
Mature seeds may be non-albuminous or albuminous.
$1$. Non-albuminous seeds: These seeds have no residual endosperm as it is completely consumed during embryo development (e.g.,pea,groundnut).
$2$. Albuminous seeds: These seeds retain a part of the endosperm as it is not completely used up during embryo development (e.g.,wheat,maize,barley,castor,sunflower).
Occasionally,in some seeds such as black pepper and beet,remnants of the nucellus are also persistent. This residual,persistent nucellus is known as the perisperm.

(N/A) As ovules mature into seeds, the ovary develops into a fruit; the transformation of ovules into seeds and the ovary into a fruit proceeds simultaneously. The wall of the ovary develops into the wall of the fruit, called the $pericarp$.
The fruits may be fleshy, as in guava, orange, and mango, or they may be dry, as in groundnut and mustard. Many fruits have evolved mechanisms for the dispersal of seeds.
In most plants, by the time the fruit develops from the ovary, other floral parts degenerate and fall off. However, in a few species such as apple, strawberry, and cashew, the thalamus also contributes to fruit formation. Such fruits are called $false$ $fruits$.
Most fruits, however, develop only from the ovary and are called $true$ $fruits$. Although in most species, fruits are the result of fertilization, there are a few species in which fruits develop without fertilization.
Such fruits are called $parthenocarpic$ $fruits$. Banana is one such example. Parthenocarpy can be induced through the application of growth hormones, and such fruits are seedless.

(N/A) Seeds offer several advantages to angiosperms:
$1$. Since reproductive processes such as pollination and fertilisation are independent of water, seed formation is more dependable.
$2$. Seeds have better adaptive strategies for dispersal to new habitats, helping the species colonize other areas.
$3$. As they have sufficient food reserves, young seedlings are nourished until they are capable of photosynthesis on their own.
$4$. The hard seed coat provides protection to the young embryo.
$5$. Being products of sexual reproduction, they generate new genetic combinations leading to variation.
$6$. Seeds are the basis of our agriculture. Dehydration and dormancy of mature seeds are crucial for storage, allowing them to be used as food throughout the year and to raise crops in the next season.
$7$. Seed viability: While some seeds lose viability within a few months, many remain alive for years, and some even for hundreds of years. For example, $Lupinus \text{ } arcticus$ remained viable for $10,000$ years, and $Phoenix \text{ } dactylifera$ (date palm) remained viable for $2,000$ years.

(A) $(i)$ Seed. In Gymnosperms,the ovules are naked and develop into seeds after fertilization.
$(ii)$ Fruit. In Angiosperms,the ovary matures into a fruit,and the ovules develop into seeds after fertilization.

(N/A) $(i)$ The Aleurone layer is a protein-rich layer that surrounds the endosperm in monocot seeds like maize. It plays a crucial role in the secretion of enzymes during germination,which helps in the breakdown of stored starch into simpler sugars for the developing embryo.
$(ii)$ The epidermal layer in a monocot seed refers to the outer boundary of the scutellum that remains in contact with the endosperm. It is involved in the absorption of nutrients from the endosperm and their transport to the growing embryo during the process of germination.

(N/A) In the provided figure of a pea pod,the structure labeled $S$ represents the seed (which develops from the ovule after fertilization),and the structure labeled $P$ represents the pericarp (the fruit wall that develops from the ovary wall).

(A) After fertilisation in angiosperms,the following changes occur in the flower:
$1$. The ovary develops into the fruit.
$2$. The ovules develop into seeds.
$3$. The zygote develops into the embryo.
$4$. The primary endosperm nucleus develops into the endosperm.
Therefore,the ovary becomes the fruit and the ovules become the seeds.

(N/A) The statement refers to the biological phenomenon known as $Parthenocarpy$.
In certain plants,fruits develop from the ovary without the process of fertilisation.
Since fertilisation involves the fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote,its absence means these fruits are typically seedless.
Examples of naturally occurring parthenocarpic fruits include bananas.
In agricultural practices,$Parthenocarpy$ can be induced artificially by the application of growth hormones like $Auxins$ and $Gibberellins$ to the flowers,which stimulates the ovary to develop into a fruit without fertilisation.

(N/A) After fertilisation,the following changes occur in a flower:
$(a)$ The ovary develops into the fruit.
$(b)$ The ovules develop into the seeds.

(N/A) $(1)$ Dioecious: In plants like papaya,male and female flowers are produced on separate individuals. Such plants are called dioecious (bearing either male or female flowers).
$(2)$ Non-albuminous seeds: These seeds do not have any residual endosperm because it is completely consumed during embryo development. Examples include pea and groundnut.

(N/A)

False Fruit	True Fruit
$(1)$ Other floral parts,such as the thalamus,also participate in fruit development along with the ovary.	$(1)$ The fruit develops exclusively from the ovary.
$(2)$ Examples include apple,strawberry,and cashew,where the thalamus contributes to fruit formation.	$(2)$ Examples include mango and tomato,where the ovary matures into the fruit.

(B) Both cotyledons and nucellus serve the primary function of storing reserve food materials.
$(i)$ Cotyledons store food to provide nutrition to the developing embryo during germination.
(ii) Nucellus acts as a nutritive tissue that provides nourishment to the developing embryo sac and the embryo within the seed.

(N/A) The pistil is the female reproductive organ of a flower. After fertilization,the ovary of the pistil undergoes physiological changes and develops into the fruit. The ovules,which are located inside the ovary,develop into seeds.

(N/A)

Integument	Testa
It is the protective outer covering of an ovule.	It is the tough,outer seed coat derived from the integument.

$(b)$

Perisperm	Pericarp
It is the persistent,residual nucellus found in some seeds like beet and black pepper.	It is the mature,ripened wall of the fruit,which develops from the ovary wall.