Part 4 — Fruit & Seed Morphology (Questions 76–100)

Part 4 — Fruit & Seed Morphology (Questions 76–100)

Q76. A simple fruit develops from:

A) Single ovary of a single flower (e.g., mango — drupe; tomato — berry)
B) Many ovaries of many flowers
C) Many flowers forming a cluster
D) Root tissue
Answer: A
Explanation:
A) Correct — simple fruit from one pistil.
B) Aggregate fruit (many carpels of one flower).
C) Multiple fruit (many flowers, e.g., pineapple).
D) Incorrect.

Q77. A drupe is characterized by:

A) Dry dehiscent fruit splitting at maturity
B) Fleshy mesocarp and hard stony endocarp (e.g., mango, peach) enclosing single seed
C) Many seeds dispersed by wind only
D) Multiple small seeds on surface only
Answer: B
Explanation:
A) Dehiscent = legumes, capsules.
B) Correct.
C/D) Not drupe criteria.

Q78. A legume is a characteristic fruit of which family?

A) Solanaceae
B) Fabaceae (Leguminosae) where fruit is a dehiscent pod splitting along two sutures (e.g., pea, gram)
C) Poaceae
D) Asteraceae
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Not legume-producing families.
B) Correct.

Q79. An aggregate fruit develops from:

A) Single pistil
B) Many pistils (carpels) of a single flower leading to fruitlets on a common receptacle (e.g., strawberry, raspberry)
C) Single ovary of many flowers
D) Root modifications
Answer: B
Explanation:
A) Simple.
B) Correct — aggregate fruit from apocarpous flower.
C) Multiple fruit = multiple flowers.
D) Not related.

Q80. A pome (e.g., apple) is a:

A) Simple fleshy fruit where the edible flesh is mainly derived from thalamus or floral cup with the true fruit (ovary) forming core — thus a false or accessory fruit
B) Dry dehiscent fruit only
C) Dry indehiscent fruit only
D) Aggregate fruit only
Answer: A
Explanation:
A) Correct — apple is accessory fruit where thalamus contributes.
B/C/D) Not definitions.

Q81. Achenes are:

A) Fleshy berries
B) Dry indehiscent one-seeded fruits with seed loosely attached to pericarp (e.g., sunflower)
C) Dehiscent pods
D) Multiple seeds fused inside fleshy pericarp
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Incorrect.
B) Correct.

Q82. The pericarp of fruit develops from:

A) Ovule integuments only
B) Ovary wall (pericarp = exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp)
C) Sepals only
D) Pollen wall
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Not pericarp origin.
B) Correct.

Q83. Endosperm in seeds results from:

A) Fusion of two male gametes only
B) Triple fusion during double fertilization (one male gamete fuses with two polar nuclei producing a typically triploid endosperm in angiosperms)
C) Nucellus only always
D) Embryo sac wall
Answer: B
Explanation:
A) One male gamete fuses with egg; the other with polar nuclei.
B) Correct — triploid nutritive tissue in angiosperms.
C/D) Nucellus may persist as perisperm, but main endosperm arises from triple fusion.

Q84. Perisperm is derived from:

A) Nucellus (persistent nucellus) and is maternal tissue sometimes present in seeds like beet
B) Endosperm always
C) Embryo only
D) Seed coat only
Answer: A
Explanation:
A) Correct — perisperm is residual nucellus.
B/C/D) Incorrect.

Q85. The primary function of seed coat (testa) is:

A) Photosynthesis
B) Protection of embryo and control of germination (derived from integuments)
C) Production of pollen
D) Absorption of CO₂
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Incorrect.
B) Correct.

Q86. A false fruit (accessory fruit) has contribution from:

A) Ovary only always
B) Other floral parts in addition to ovary (e.g., apple — thalamus forms edible part)
C) Seed only
D) Root only
Answer: B
Explanation:
A) True fruits are from ovary only; false fruits include other tissues.
B) Correct.
C/D) Not relevant.

Q87. Samara is a type of:

A) Winged achene or winged fruit adapted for wind dispersal (e.g., maple)
B) Berry only
C) Subterranean tuber
D) Dehiscent legume
Answer: A
Explanation:
A) Correct — samara is winged, enabling wind dispersal.
B/C/D) Incorrect.

Q88. Caryopsis or grain is typical of:

A) Fabaceae
B) Poaceae — fruit (caryopsis) where seed coat is fused with pericarp as in wheat, maize, rice
C) Solanaceae
D) Asteraceae
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Not typical.
B) Correct.

Q89. Which fruit type does mustard produce?

A) Capsule only
B) Silique or silicle (Brassicaceae) — siliqua is elongated two-valved fruit with partition; silicle is short broad form
C) Berry
D) Drupe
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Not mustard fruit.
B) Correct.

Q90. In which fruit does the pericarp form a hard stone around the seed?

A) Berry
B) Drupe (stone fruit) — stony endocarp forming hard pit around seed (e.g., cherry, mango)
C) Achene
D) Capsule
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Incorrect.
B) Correct.

Q91. Endocarp, mesocarp and exocarp collectively are called:

A) Seed coat only
B) Pericarp (the fruit wall)
C) Seed coat + endosperm
D) Embryo
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Not definitions.
B) Correct.

Q92. A capsule is a dry dehiscent fruit formed from:

A) Single carpel only always
B) Compound ovary which splits open at maturity in various ways (e.g., poppy capsule or cotton capsule)
C) Multiple flowers fused only
D) Leaves
Answer: B
Explanation:
A) Capsules often arise from syncarpous ovaries.
B) Correct.
C/D) Not accurate.

Q93. Nucellus is:

A) Part of seed coat only
B) Megasporangium inside ovule providing nourishment to embryo sac; may persist as perisperm in some seeds
C) Male gametophyte
D) Fruit wall
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Incorrect.
B) Correct.

Q94. Vivipary in plants refers to:

A) Seeds remaining dormant only on tree
B) Germination of seed while still attached to parent plant (e.g., in some mango varieties, Rhizophora — mangrove)
C) Animal live birth only
D) Perennial growth only
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Not definition.
B) Correct.

Q95. Integuments of ovule develop into:

A) Embryo only
B) Seed coat (testa and tegmen) after fertilization
C) Fruit wall only
D) Endosperm only
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Not correct.
B) Correct.

Q96. Samaras and achenes both are adapted for:

A) Water dispersal only
B) Wind dispersal; samaras have wings, achenes can also be wind dispersed depending on appendages (e.g., dandelion is achene with pappus)
C) Animal ingestion only
D) No dispersal at all
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Not general.
B) Correct.

Q97. Endosperm that is absorbed by the embryo during seed development resulting in non-albuminous seeds is observed in:

A) Castor, maize (albuminous)
B) Pea, bean — non-albuminous seeds where food is transferred to cotyledons and endosperm absorbed (albuminous = retains endosperm at maturity)
C) Coconut only
D) All seeds always have endosperm at maturity
Answer: B
Explanation:
A) Example of albuminous seeds.
B) Correct.
C/D) Not accurate.

Q98. The structure which develops into the fruit wall (pericarp) is:

A) Ovary wall (placenta is different; pericarp layers derived from ovary)
B) Ovule integuments only
C) Pollen wall only
D) Calyx only
Answer: A
Explanation:
A) Correct.
B/C/D) Incorrect.

Q99. Seed dormancy is adaptive because:

A) It prevents germination at unfavorable times, thereby increasing chances of seedling survival (environmental cue-dependent germination)
B) Always prevents germination forever
C) Only occurs in cultivated plants
D) None of the above
Answer: A
Explanation:
A) Correct.
B/C/D) Incorrect.

Q100. The micropyle of seed/ovule is:

A) A point of attachment of seed to fruit only
B) The opening in integuments through which pollen tube enters and also later allows water entry during germination — an important structural feature of ovule/seed
C) The embryo itself
D) Unrelated to fertilization
Answer: B
Explanation:
A/C/D) Not accurate.
B) Correct.

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