Pollination Mutualisms and Coevolution — NEET Biology
📚 Practice ConceptThe moth deposits its eggs in the locule of the ovary and the flower, in turn, gets pollinated by the moth. The larvae of the moth come out of the eggs as the seeds start developing.
Which of the following statements about fruit and seed development are correct? S1: In an apple, the major edible portion is derived from the thalamus, a part of the flower other than the ovary. S2: The pericarp, which forms the fruit wall, in true fruits always develops exclusively from the ovary wall. S3: Seeds, which are the matured ovules, are essential for the formation of the edible part in all types of fruits. S4: Strawberry is classified as a false fruit because its edible fleshy part is a developed thalamus. S5: The endosperm in a seed serves as the primary food reserve for the developing embryo, and it can be completely consumed or persist. S6: Parthenocarpic fruits are always false fruits, as their development bypasses fertilisation.
View solution & NCERT explanation
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.
What does NCERT say about moth deposits its eggs?
Has this concept appeared in NEET?
Which chapter is this from?
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 176 of the 180 ReNEET 2026 (June 21) questions were already in the MedicNEET question bank before the exam.
176/180MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.