Biology/Banana sections
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Question
A banana has how many sections? (If you push your finger into one end of a banana and push you will receive the answer! I've also tried this with my tongue to make people laugh and be amazed. No one I know has ever seen this! I couldn't find reference to it on the internet.)
Dear Glenn,
The fruit of a banana is an accessory fruit (meaning that part of the flower tube contributes to the "finished" fruit) consisting of three carpels arranged around a central axis. The carpels are the specialized chambers in which the seeds ripen. (In domestic cultivars, the carpels are parthenocarpic (they develop without seeds), and so won't usually have seeds.)
When you press on a banana, it *should* split into the three sections that are derived from the three carpels.
Is that what you saw? :)
Dana
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Answers by Expert:
Dana Krempels, Ph.D.
Expertise
I can answer biology-related questions in the areas of evolution, zoology, botany, genetics, and ecology. But I don't answer homework questions or provide ideas for your science fair projects. So students please do your learning the right way by reading your text assignments and studying!
Experience
At the University of Miami, I teach Evolution and Biodiversity, Botany, Zoology, Genetics, Ecology, and a variety of seminars (e.g., the Biology and Evolution of Human Gender Roles).
Education/Credentials
I have a B.S. in Biology and an A.B. in English from the University of Southern California (1980).
I earned my Ph.D. in Biology in the area of evolutionary biology/visual physiology from the University of Miami in 1989.
Past/Present Clients
I am currently an "expert" in both the "Rabbits" and "Wild Animals" categories.
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