The part which we eat in Mango is:

Question

The part which we eat in Mango is:

1. A. Epicarp
2. B. Mesocarp (Correct answer)
3. C. Endocarp
4. D. None of the above

Correct Answer

Option B — Mesocarp

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Mesocarp.

Key Points

• The edible, fleshy and juicy part of a mango is the mesocarp, the middle layer of the fruit wall.
• The fruit wall, or pericarp, of a fleshy fruit is differentiated into three layers: the epicarp, which forms the outer skin or peel; the mesocarp, the middle fleshy pulp; and the endocarp, the innermost layer, which in the mango forms the hard stony covering around the seed.
• Botanically the mango is a drupe — a fleshy fruit with a single seed enclosed in a hard, stony endocarp.
• Other drupes include the coconut, almond, peach, plum and cherry.
• In the coconut, interestingly, it is the endosperm that is eaten, while the fibrous coir is the mesocarp.

Exam Tip

• compare across fruits, since this is exactly how the question is varied year to year — in orange, the edible juicy parts are the placental hairs of a hesperidium; in apple, the edible flesh is the thalamus, making it a false fruit; and in banana, both mesocarp and endocarp are eaten.

Additional Information

• The pericarp (fruit wall) develops from the ovary wall after fertilisation and differentiates into epicarp, mesocarp and endocarp.
• A drupe is defined by a hard, stony endocarp enclosing a single seed — mango, coconut, almond, peach, plum and cherry are the standard examples.
• The coconut is the instructive contrast: its mesocarp is the fibrous coir, its endocarp the hard shell, and the edible white flesh is endosperm, not pericarp at all.
• False fruits develop from a floral part other than the ovary — in apple and pear the edible flesh is the thalamus, and in strawberry it is the swollen receptacle.

प्रश्न (हिन्दी में)

आम में हम जो भाग खाते हैं वह है:

1. A. बाह्यफलभित्ति
2. B. मध्यफलभित्ति
3. C. अंत:फलभित्ति
4. D. उपरोक्त में से कोई नहीं