Highlights
1. The scientific community considers fruits and nuts to be one and the same, as they are both the mature ovary of a flower or plant that contains seeds.
2. Nuts are classified as a type of fruit based on their hard outer shell and single seed, but they are often confused with legumes and drupes.
3. One major difference between fruits and nuts is their ability to grow into a plant or tree. Seeds inside fruits have the potential to grow, but the seeds we eat from nuts do not.
Introduction
In the scientific community, fruits and nuts are considered to be the same thing. Fruits are the mature ovary of a flower or plant that contains seeds, while nuts have an outer layer that fulfills the criteria of the fruit definition. There is often confusion between nuts and other things like legumes and drupes, but to simplify, a nut is a fruit that has a single seed and a hard outer shell that does not crack or split when the seed ripens.
One major difference between fruits and nuts is their ability to grow into a plant or tree. Seeds from fruits have the potential to grow into a plant, whereas the seeds we eat from nuts do not have this capability. Another difference is how we consume them. Fruits have a soft outer covering that can be peeled or removed to reveal the flesh inside, which can be eaten or made into juices. Nuts, on the other hand, have a hard outer covering that needs to be cracked to access the seed inside. Nuts also have a distinct taste and are often eaten as snacks.
Both fruits and nuts contain vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals, but nuts lack the juice that can be extracted from fruits. Nuts cannot be crushed and turned into healthy drinks like fruits can. Overall, while there are some similarities between fruits and nuts, there are also notable differences in appearance, taste, and potential for growth.
