Question

The wheat grain is a:
A. Fruit
B. Seed
C. Embryo
D. Glume

Answer 1

Hint:-
Before answering this question, we must be well aware of the structure of the monocot seed. Also, we must know that fruit and the seeds are two different parts but sometimes, they may be fused to look like a single part.

Complete step-by-step solution:-
Wheat(Triticum aestivum) belongs to the modern grass family i.e. Gramineae or Poaceae.
As per the classification, fruits are divided into three categories:
Simple fruits: Produced from one flower and multicarpellary or monocarpellary syncarpous ovary.
Aggregate fruits: Produced from one flower and bicarpellary to multicarpellary ovary but ovary is always apocarpous.
Composite fruits: Produced from entire inflorescence.
Simple fruit is further classified into:
Fleshy/Pulpy fruit.
Dry fruits.
Dry fruits have three subdivisions:
Indehiscent dry fruits
Dehiscent dry fruits
Schizocarpic dry fruits
Indehiscent dry fruits:
- Cypsela: Sunflower, Marigold.
- Caryopsis: These are small, one seeded dry fruits, which develop from monocarpellary, superior ovary. In these fruits, Pericarp is fused with the seed coat and forms a joint surface. Examples: Wheat, Rice, Maize, etc.

Figure: Caryopsis of Wheat.





-Achene: Clematis, Mirabilis, etc.
- Nut: Trapa, litchi.
- Samara: Holoptelia.
So the correct option is (a)Fruit.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Some edible parts of fruits:
a. Caryopsis: Whole fruit.
b. Coconut: Endosperm.
c. Water melon: Mesocarp, Endocarp and seeds.
d. Peanut: Cotyledons.
e. Cashew: Cotyledon and peduncle.

Note:-
- On the first glimpse, the wheat grain can look like seed but it is not.
- Many may think, as wheat is monocot so the wheat grain must be endosperm but it's not endosperm or seed it is an indehiscent fruit : Caryopsis.