Short answerModerate1 mark
7(a)
Answer the following questions briefly:
What is Parthenocarpy? Give one example.
Topic: Parthenocarpy
Previous-year question practice database
Answer
Exam answer
PARTHENOCARPY is the development of a FRUIT WITHOUT FERTILISATION, so that the fruit formed is SEEDLESS.
Example: seedless grapes (also banana, seedless watermelon, some varieties of orange).
Explanation
Break the word apart: PARTHENO- means virgin (without fertilisation) and -CARPY refers to fruit.
It can be induced artificially by spraying AUXINS or GIBBERELLINS on the flowers, which makes the ovary develop into a fruit even though no ovule has been fertilised — and that is how commercial seedless grapes are produced.
DO NOT CONFUSE IT with PARTHENOGENESIS, which is the development of an unfertilised EGG into a new individual in ANIMALS — same prefix, entirely different process.
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