Question

The edible part of the mango is
(a) Mango peel
(b) Mango pulp
(c) Mango seed
(d) All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Pericarp is the outermost edible layer of the fruit that develops from the wall of the ovary. It is made up of Epicarp, Mesocarp, and Endocarp. The mesocarp forms the edible part of the mango.

Complete answer:
The edible part of the mango is its sweet, juicy pulp which is anatomically the mesocarp of fruit. The word mesocarp is derived from ‘meso’ meaning middle and ‘carp’ i.e. fruit. It encloses the seed which is not edible. It develops from the fertilized ovary.

Additional Information:
-Epicarp- It is the outermost layer and is also known as the exocarp. It is generally dry, rough, thick, or fibrous. In some plants, it also contains essential oils, paraffin waxes, steroids, fatty acids, and pigments like carotenoid, xanthophyll, etc.
-Mesocarp- It is the middle layer present between epicarp and the endocarp. It is generally fleshy and edible.
-Endocarp- It is the innermost layer covering the seed. It is edible in citrus fruits but can be as hard as stone in plants like peach, plums, cherry, apricot, etc.

So, the correct answer is ‘Mango pulp’.

Note:
-In some plants, the edible portion is derived from the aril instead of an ovary. Example: pomegranate, pineapple, etc.
-In citrus fruits, the waxy epicarp is known as ‘flavido'.
-In coconut, the edible part is the endosperm, enclosed inside a hard endocarp. The mesocarp is fibrous.
-In apple, the thalamus also contributes to the formation of the edible part of the fruit.