Question

Select the correct combination of the edible part
A. Coconut - Mesocarp
B. Apple - Mesocarp
C. Mango - Endocarp
D. Banana - Mesocarp, Endocarp

Answer 1

Hint: The endocarp is the pericarp's innermost layer which sometimes forms into a hardened pit. The mesocarp is the pericarp's middle layer which usually forms into a dense, fleshy layer of tissue. The exocarp is the outermost coating that makes up the fruit's flesh.

Complete Answer:
- The intermediary layer of the pericarp between the exocarp and the endocarp is the mesocarp. The mesocarp in mango is the edible, fleshy part between the skin and the seed that is consumed. The mesocarp is comparatively soft in young coconuts but becomes the dry and fibrous husk of the mature fruit. So, the mesocarp is the edible component of mango and not epicarp and endocarp.
- The banana grows from syncarpous ovaries that are monocarpellary or multicarpellary. The epicarp contains the fruit rind, the mesocarp is fleshy and the endocarp is thin and membranous. Endocarp and less developed mesocarp is the edible part of the banana.
- In fact, the apple is a false fruit. False fruit or pseudocarp is obtained from floral accessory sections other than the ovary. Actually, the most edible component of an apple is the thalamus.
- Coconuts are different from other fruits since a significant volume of a transparent liquid called coconut water is found in their endosperm. The coconut fruit is large and has a thin exocarp, a dense mesocarp that is fibrous, and a hard endocarp covering a large seed.

So, the correct option is D, Banana - Mesocarp, Endocarp.

Note: Vegetables have been divided into major groups. One is edible underground parts like roots, tubers, and bulbs. Another is edible above-ground parts like stems, leaves, and flowers. Lastly, they have edible fruits and seeds, like unripe fruits and seeds.