Question

In coconut brown covering (thin layer) adherent to the kernel around the endosperm is

• A. Mesocarp
• B. Seed coat
• C. Pericarp
• D. Epicarp

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

The correct option is B Seed coat

In coconut brown covering (thin layer) adherent to the kernel around the endosperm is seed coat. A seed coat protects the internal parts of the seed from fungi, bacteria and insects and prevents water loss. The seed coat must split open before a new plant may emerge. The outer layer of the seed coat, called the testa, is generally hard and thick. The second layer of the seed coat, known as the tegmen, is softer. In some plants, the seed coat does not open unless environmental conditions are ideal for plant growth. This condition is known as dormancy. In many plants, the seed coat covers storage tissues. The embryonic plant uses these food reserves until it is able to emerge from the seed coat and make its own food. Coconuts are classified as a fibrous one-seeded drupe. A drupe is a fruit with a hard stony covering enclosing the seed (like a peach or olive) and comes from the word drupa meaning overripe olive. A coconut, and all drupes, have three layers: the exocarp (outer layer), the mesocarp (fleshy middle layer), and the endocarp (hard, woody layer that surrounds the seed). Thus the correct answer is B.