So you want to know if all fruit has seeds?
I had the same question myself and just finished doing the research.
Here’s what I found out…
While most fruit has seeds, there are some fruits that are seedless. Examples of seedless fruit include bananas, pineapples, and grapes. Some fruit can even be genetically modified to be seedless such as watermelon, lemons, and oranges.
There are many reasons why a particular fruit may or may not have seeds. This article will look at how some fruits can be produced without seeds and explore the differences between both types of fruit.
What is a Fruit?
What is the definition of a fruit? You may know that fruits are an essential part of any healthy diet, but what exactly makes something a fruit? The simple answer is fruits are the seed-bearing parts of plants. They come in many shapes and sizes; some are sweet like luscious strawberries or bananas, while others taste more tart, like lemons and limes.
These plant parts contain the plant’s seeds or pits and serve as a way to reproduce. Because both come from plants and have many similarities, people often mistake certain fruits and vegetables. In general, the difference is simple, fruits have seeds (or the ability to have seeds), and vegetables do not.
What is the Difference Between a Seed and a Pit?
Pits are the hard-shelled fruit of certain plants. A seed is an immature form of a plant contained in a fruit or cone with a relatively small embryonic plant and a stored food supply. In other words, a seed is what grows into a new plant, whereas a pit is what contains the seed itself.
For example, an avocado pit is hard and provides protection for an avocado seed to grow into a tree, whereas the seed is inside the avocado. Seeds are located inside fruits, whereas pits are located outside of them. Lastly, seeds contain what’s needed to grow into a plant, while pits don’t. They just protect the seed.
Simply put, a seed is the part of the plant that contains an embryo. The seed develops into a new plant, whereas a pit is another word for stone fruit. Seeds are internal to fruits, and pits are external to them. A seed can not develop into a tree on its own because it needs water and sunlight to grow. Pits contain the plant’s own fertilizer.
Which Fruits Have Seeds?
There are many types of fruits that have seeds. A few examples of fruits that might surprise people because they don’t always think of them as having seeds include cucumbers, pears, kiwis, passion fruit, figs, strawberries, raspberries, mangos, cantaloupes, watermelon, grapes, papaya, and apples.
Since most fruits contain seeds, it is easy to grow more fruit trees and plants from the seeds of these fruits. Some people plant seeds inside a glass jar with water and wait for them to sprout roots and sprouts. Once the roots are long enough, they can be planted in soil or hydroponic planter.
Which Fruits Have Pits?
A list of fruits with pits would include avocados, peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries. The pit of a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in a plant that can be harmful if eaten. While some fruits, such as peaches and plums, have pits without any toxic effects, others contain materials that are poisonous when ingested.
Cherries and apricots, for example, possess almonds in their pits which pose a lethal threat to humans. Other poisonous fruits with toxic or harmful pits include apples, mangoes, nectarines, pears, peaches, and plums. If swallowed whole, most pits will be harmless. However, if they are chewed or crushed, they may cause vomiting, difficulty breathing, and death. In those cases, appropriate medical treatment must be administered immediately.
Which Fruits Can Be Bred Either With or Without Seeds?
Many valuable crops can be cross-pollinated or self-pollinated (with or without seed), whereas others cannot. Fruits that can be bred with or without seeds include watermelons, grapes, tomatoes, bananas, lemons, limes, and oranges. Fruits without seeds are often healthier, larger, and of better quality in many instances. Many people prefer fruits without seeds, which is one of the primary reasons they are grown.
How Are Seedless Fruits Created?
Parthenocarpy is a term applied to fruit that lacks seeds. This can be done naturally or artificially. Seedless plants are somewhat uncommon. While they exist in the wild, they are more often produced by plant breeders. These breeders induce seedless fruits artificially by the use of plant growth regulators.
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are organic compounds that influence plant physiological processes. PRGs are also called bioinhibitors or biostimulants. Breeders often prefer to grow seedless fruits because, in many instances, they are easier and cheaper to produce. They also can be grown without pesticides which is always a better option when available.
Without seeds in a fruit, it will not reproduce because self-fertilization isn’t possible. For a fruit to have no seeds, it must first be pollinated by other plants’ pollen because there is no other source of pollen available. Since the only pollinating agents available are from another plant species, self-pollination cannot happen, and therefore, the fruit will not develop seeds.
Conclusion
A fruit is the seed-bearing part of a plant that comes in many shapes and sizes. While almost all fruits have seeds, some can be bred naturally or artificially not to have seeds. Plant breeders use a process called parthenocarpy to artificially create fruits without seeds. Seedless fruits are more manageable, cheaper, and healthier to grow; however, there are no substantial nutritional benefits to eating fruits with or without seeds.
