Fruit

[1] Consequently, fruits account for a substantial fraction of the world's agricultural output, and some (such as the apple and the pomegranate) have acquired extensive cultural and symbolic meanings.

In common language and culinary usage, fruit normally means the seed-associated fleshy structures (or produce) of plants that typically are sweet (or sour) and edible in the raw state, such as apples, bananas, grapes, lemons, oranges, and strawberries.

In botanical usage, the term fruit also includes many structures that are not commonly called as such in everyday language, such as nuts, bean pods, corn kernels, tomatoes, and wheat grains.

For example, in botany, a fruit is a ripened ovary or carpel that contains seeds, e.g., an orange, pomegranate, tomato or a pumpkin.

Vegetables, so-called, typically are savory or non-sweet produce (zucchini, lettuce, broccoli, and tomato).

Botanically, a cereal grain, such as corn, rice, or wheat is a kind of fruit (termed a caryopsis).

Ovules are fertilized in a process that starts with pollination, which is the movement of pollen from the stamens to the stigma-style-ovary system within the flower-head.

[13] Union of haploid nuclei from pollen and ovule (fertilisation), occurring either by self- or cross-pollination, leads to the formation of a diploid zygote that can then develop into an embryo within the emerging seed.

In some multi-seeded fruits, the extent to which a fleshy structure develops is proportional to the number of fertilized ovules.

Typically, the entire outer layer of the ovary wall ripens into a potentially edible pericarp.

The botanical term true berry includes grapes, currants, cucumbers, eggplants (aubergines), tomatoes, chili peppers, and bananas, but excludes certain fruits that are called "-berry" by culinary custom or by common usage of the term – such as strawberries and raspberries.

Progressive stages of multiple flowering and fruit development can be observed on a single branch of the Indian mulberry, or noni.

Fruits may incorporate tissues derived from other floral parts besides the ovary, including the receptacle, hypanthium, petals, or sepals.

[31] Some fruits present their outer skins or shells coated with spikes or hooked burrs; these evolved either to deter would-be foragers from feeding on them or to serve to attach themselves to the hair, feathers, legs, or clothing of animals, thereby using them as dispersal agents.

[32][33] By developments of mutual evolution, the fleshy produce of fruits typically appeals to hungry animals, such that the seeds contained within are taken in, carried away, and later deposited (i.e., defecated) at a distance from the parent plant.

Likewise, the nutritious, oily kernels of nuts typically motivate birds and squirrels to hoard them, burying them in soil to retrieve later during the winter of scarcity; thereby, uneaten seeds are sown effectively under natural conditions to germinate and grow a new plant some distance away from the parent.

[4] Other fruits have evolved flattened and elongated wings or helicopter-like blades, e.g., elm, maple, and tuliptree.

They are used extensively in manufactured and processed foods (cakes, cookies, baked goods, flavorings, ice cream, yogurt, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables and meals) and beverages such as fruit juices and alcoholic beverages (brandy, fruit beer, wine).

[38][39] Typically, many botanical fruits – "vegetables" in culinary parlance – (including tomato, green beans, leaf greens, bell pepper, cucumber, eggplant, okra, pumpkin, squash, zucchini) are bought and sold daily in fresh produce markets and greengroceries and carried back to kitchens, at home or restaurant, for preparation of meals.

Therefore, maintaining most fruits in an efficient cold chain is optimal for post-harvest storage, with the aim of extending and ensuring shelf life.

[41] A meta-analysis of 83 studies showed fruit or vegetable consumption is associated with reduced markers of inflammation (reduced tumor necrosis factor and C-reactive protein) and enhanced immune cell profile (increased gamma delta T cells).

[44] The dietary fiber consumed in eating fruit promotes satiety, and may help to control body weight and aid reduction of blood cholesterol, a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

[45] Fruit consumption is under preliminary research for the potential to improve nutrition and affect chronic diseases.

[46][47] Regular consumption of fruit is generally associated with reduced risks of several diseases and functional declines associated with aging.

Fresh fruits and vegetables should be carefully selected; at the store, they should not be damaged or bruised; and precut pieces should be refrigerated or surrounded by ice.

Fruits and vegetables that are not going to be cooked should be thrown away if they have touched raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.