The primary purpose of fruits to a plant is to

• A. Produce seeds
• B. Scatter seeds
• C. Protect seeds
• D. Provide energy

Answer: (B)

Fruits are evolved to help spread the plant’s offspring. After fertilization, the ovary becomes fruit to protect the developing seeds and, more importantly, to aid dispersal. By becoming appealing, nutritious, or otherwise suited to travel—animals eat the fruit and later drop or excrete the seeds, or seeds are carried by wind or water—the plant increases the chances that its seeds land in new places rather than nearby. So the main role of fruits is to scatter seeds to new environments, with protection and providing nutrients being supportive but not the primary function.