Question

Hard fruit is:
A. Mangoes
B. Almond
C. Apples
D. Orange

Answer 1

Hint: A fruit is a mature ripened ovary of a flower. It is the seed bearing part of the flower. Formation of fruit is a characteristic feature of angiosperms. Fruiting is an adaptive advantage for the survival of flowering plants as it ensures seed dispersal. Therefore, all flowering plants produce fruit, regardless of whether the fruit is edible, sweet,
or soft.

Complete answer:
Fruits have been categorized to be of two types – the fleshy fruit and the dry or hard fruits based on the amount of water content present in the fruit.
Before we discuss the types of fruits let’s understand the structure of fruit.
A fruit consists of three different parts –
Exocarp – It forms the skin of the fruit and is derived from the walls of the ovary.
Mesocarp – It forms the edible part of the fruit in most edible fruits. It may be fleshy or dry based on the water content present in this layer.
Endocarp – It is the innermost layer of the fruit surrounding the seeds.
Together the three layers of the fruit are known as pericarp.
Based on the amount of water in the pericarp fruits may be soft/fleshy or hard/dry.
Now, let's introspect our options and detect the dry or hard fruits.
Option: A- Mangoes are pulpy and soft fruits.
So, this option is incorrect.
Option: B Almonds are dry fruits as they have negligible water content in their pericarp and is thus a hard fruit.
Option: B is therefore correct.
Option:C –Apples are also fleshy fruits as their pericarp have a significant amount of water.
Option: C is incorrect.
Option: D Oranges too are fleshy soft fruits due to high water content in their pericarp.
Thus, Option: D is also incorrect.

Note:
The first step in the growth of the fruit is the fertilization of the carpel/pistil, and then a fruit arises from a series of transformations that occur during the development of the fertilized carpel, resulting in the maturation and ripening of the ovary of the flower. The carpel/pistil/stigma of the flower changes so that the structural layers become the fruit.