Fruit
Fruit is a seed-bearing structure of a flowering plant. A fruit is actually a ripened ovary, a component of the flower’s female reproductive structure. Fertilization of the egg, or female sex cell, within the ovary stimulates the ovary to ripen, or mature. Depending on the type of plant, the mature ovary may form a juicy, fleshy fruit, such as a peach , mango , apple , plum , or blueberry . Or it may develop into a dry fruit, such as an acorn, chestnut, or almond. Grains of wheat , corn , or rice also are considered dry fruits. Certain foods commonly termed vegetables, including tomatoes , squash , peppers , and eggplant , technically are fruits because they develop from the ovary of a flower. Fruits develop from the ovaries of flowers . As the reproductive organs of plants, flowers typically contain both female and male structures. The female part of the flower is located at its center and is called the pistil. Often resembling a tiny vase, the pistil is composed of three regions—a ...