False Fruits & Accessory Fruit Parts — NEET Biology

Correct answer: B — S1, S2, S4 and S5

Let's evaluate each statement: S1: Apple is a false fruit where the thalamus significantly contributes to the edible portion. This is accurate as per NCERT. (Correct) S2: The pericarp, which is the fruit wall, indeed develops exclusively from the ovary wall in true fruits. (Correct) S3: Seeds are matured ovules. However, they are not essential for the formation of the edible part in 'all' types of fruits. Parthenocarpic fruits, for instance, are seedless but have edible parts. (Incorrect) S4: Strawberry, like apple, is a false fruit, and its fleshy edible part is derived from the thalamus. This statement is correct. (Correct) S5: The endosperm provides nutrition to the developing embryo. It can be fully consumed (non-albuminous seeds) or persist (albuminous seeds), making this statement correct. (Correct) S6: Parthenocarpic fruits develop without fertilisation and are characteristically seedless. However, they are typically true fruits (e.g., banana) if they develop solely from the ovary. The term 'false fruit' refers to the involvement of accessory floral parts, which is a different classification criterion. Thus, parthenocarpic fruits are not 'always' false fruits. (Incorrect) Therefore, statements S1, S2, S4, and S5 are correct. The final answer is B.