Nut (fruit)

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nut-fruit

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the botanically distinct culinary 'nuts'?Almonds and Walnuts (drupes), Peanuts (legumes)
2. What is the ecological role?Crucial food source for wildlife, aiding in seed dispersal through caching behavior
3. What is a true nut in botanical terms?A true nut is a dry fruit with a hard shell that does not split open when it matures. It holds a single seed inside. Examples are hazelnuts, chestnuts, and acorns.
4. Why do squirrels bury nuts?Squirrels hide nuts to eat later. While they store them, some nuts grow into new trees, helping forests grow.

Indehiscent: A type of fruit that does not split open naturally when ripe to release its seeds.
Pericarp: The part of a fruit formed from the wall of the ripened ovary; it typically consists of three layers: the exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp.
Drupe: A fleshy fruit with a hard, stony layer (endocarp) surrounding the seed, such as a peach or cherry.
Legume: A simple dry fruit that develops from a simple carpel and usually dehisces (opens) on two sides, characteristic of the family Fabaceae (pea family).