Question

What are parthenocarpic fruits?
A. Fruits enclosed in pods such as peas
B. Fruits formed without fertilization
C. Very hard fruits
D. Fruits with more than one seed at their center

Answer 1

Hint: Some plants and animals reproduce and give offspring without fertilization.
Parthenocarpic fruits are formed without fertilization.

Complete answer:
- Parthenocarpy is the phenomenon of production of fruits naturally or artificially without the fertilization of the ovules, pollination, and embryo development.
- Since there is no fertilization, there is no production of viable seeds.
- This process of fruit production without fertilization was introduced in the year 1902.
- Pineapple, banana, cucumber, grape, watermelon, orange, grapefruit, pear, fig are some examples of parthenocarpic fruits.

Additional Information:
- Parthenocarpy can broadly be classified into two parts, which are: Vegetative and Stimulative parthenocarpy.
- In vegetative parthenocarpy, there is no pollination which results in the formation of seedless fruits as seen in seedless cucumbers, pear, fig, etc.
- In stimulative parthenocarpy, the plants can produce fruits only after being stimulated either through pollination or through plant hormones. Examples- seedless watermelon where the seeds are dropped when they are very small and in seedless grapes.
- Parthenocarpy can be induced by gibberellic acid, auxin, and cytokine.

So, the correct answer is 'Fruits formed without fertilization'.

Note:
- Parthenocarpic fruit is thus also known as “virgin fruit”.
- Parthenocarpy is induced by auxins by altering the metabolism of gibberellic acid through an enzyme called CPS (Copalyl diphosphate synthase).
- Parthenocarpy should never be confused with pathogenesis because parthenogenesis is a method of asexual reproduction, with embryo formation without fertilization, and parthenocarpy involves fruit formation, without seed (embryo) formation.