What is Fruit Formation? Types of Fruits & NEET Important Points

After fertilization, the ovary develops into a fruit and the ovules develop into seeds. Fruit formation is an important topic for NEET and Class 12 Biology.

What is a Fruit?

A fruit is a mature or ripened ovary that develops after fertilization and contains seeds.

True Fruit vs False Fruit

Type	Feature	Example
True Fruit	Develops only from the ovary	Mango, Tomato, Pea
False Fruit (Pseudocarp)	Develops from ovary + other floral parts	Apple, Strawberry, Cashew

Types of Fruits

• Simple Fruits – Develop from a single ovary (Mango, Tomato)
• Aggregate Fruits – Develop from multiple ovaries of a single flower (Custard apple)
• Multiple (Composite) Fruits – Develop from an entire inflorescence (Pineapple, Jackfruit)

Parthenocarpy

Development of fruit without fertilization is called parthenocarpy. Such fruits are seedless (e.g., Banana, Grapes).

NEET Important Points

• Fruit wall is called pericarp (epicarp + mesocarp + endocarp).
• In apple, the edible part is the thalamus (false fruit).
• Parthenocarpic fruits can be induced by hormones like auxins and gibberellins.

This topic is frequently asked in NEET – revise the differences carefully!