what is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable.?

Answer 1

A fruit is the seed-bearing part of the plant, a vegetable is part of the 'flesh' of the plant.

So tomatoes, avacadoes, cucumbers (even pickles!) are technically fruits.

The nutritional definition is somewhat different.

Answer 2

The reason that this question is constantly raised and debated is that the word "fruit" has multiple meanings. So before people can agree on the answer to your question, they have to agree on which definition to use for the word "fruit".

In the world of science, or more specifically botany, the fruit is the structure of a plant that bears the seeds. A fruit develops from the pollination of a flower.

In the world of food and nutrition, the definition of a fruit is more narrow. The common use of the word "fruit" tends to follow this same narrower meaning. So in daily life we generally use the term "fruit" to describe only those botanical fruits which are eaten by humans, and are sweet, and are typically eaten fresh instead of cooked.

Your question contrasts the word "fruit" with the word "vegetable". The word "vegetable" is not a botanical term, but a food term. Therefore, to distinguish between a fruit and a vegetable, we should use the definition of "fruit" that comes from the same domain, that is, food and nutrition.

As a food term, we generally use the term "vegetable" to describe any part of the plant that we eat, other than what we consider to be a "fruit". If we agree to use the food definition for "fruit" to answer your question, then green beans are vegetables, not fruits, even though botanically they are indeed fruits.

Let's assume that we have now agreed on which definition of the word "fruit" to use. Even so, there are still a few foods that are hard to categorize. The most debated example is probably the tomato. It's a little bit sweet, and is often eaten fresh, but personally I would still call it a vegetable -- it's not THAT sweet, and it's more often used in cooked dishes than served raw. Still, someone could make a good case for either answer. However, from a botanical standpoint, a tomato is most definitely a fruit!

Answer 3

Let us look at the meaning of both the words and see where is the difference .

1 ) Vegetable == a) from culinary point of view any plant or any of its part is a vegetable ( fit for consumption by vegetarian person). Examples are - Celery, Broccoli , radish ,carrot , beet , Spinach , Banana , tomato , Potato , chillies , Sweet potato , and Capsicum.

Vegetable === b ) from biomass point of view any matter that is directly or indirectly derived from plants or their parts is a vegetable matter. examples == All the above plus wood , hay , grass , dried leaves and any thing that comes from plant kingdom.

2 ) Fruit == It is a scientific or technical term which means an organ of a plant related to reproduction .
It also means a ripened ovary that has seeds inside .So a fruit to be classified or known as such MUST HAVE seeds inside.

Examples are too numerous to quote .Let us see some pictures

1) Celary , strictly a vegetable as we consume it.
http://www.felcopruners.net/images/Celery%20D%20Elne%202.jpg
2 )Beet , srictly a vegetable as we consume it.
http://z.about.com/d/gardening/1/7/v/7/beet_chioggia.jpg
3) Potato, strictly a vegetable as we consume it.
http://www.async.caltech.edu/~mika/potato/POTATO.jpg

4 ) Tomato - strictly a fruit and we consume it as a vegetable.
Note it has seeds inside
http://www.niroinc.com/images/chem/tomato.gif
5) Capsicum - Strictly a fruit but we take it as a vegetable .Note the seeds .
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Red_capsicum_and_cross_section.jpg/800px-Red_capsicum_and_cross_section.jpg
http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/IGS/IGS653/IS411-014.jpg
http://www.zarc.com/images/peppere.jpg6) Cucumber - As above .
http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/webb/bot410/Angiosperm/MagnoliophytaLab99/CucumberFruitXSMacroLab.jpg

Answer 4

The distinction is culinary rather then scientific. See reference

Generally fruit grow on perennial (live for two years or longer) trees (apple, orange, avocado, walnuts) or bushes (berries of all kind).

Vegetables grow on plants (or are the plants) that live from few month to two years, (typically one year), like tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, potato, cucumber and also cantaloupes, watermelons and peanuts.

Answer 5

A fruit is a ripened ovary, enclosing the seeds which are the mature ovules,they can arise from a single carple,or several carpels fused together, or seperate carpels.a vegetable is not developed from a flower.

Answer 6

botanically -- a fruit has seeds and a vegetable does not
metaphorically --a fruit is freaky and a vegetable has no reaction to anything

Answer 7

Vegetables are maily cooked and can be eaten raw. Fruits are directly eaten. In fact, myself is not convinced with my answer. I really want to know about this.

Answer 8

fruits grow on trees and vegtables grow in or on the ground except tomatos they grow in the ground and its a fruit

Answer 9

fruits are the seed bearing part of flants but vegitables are any edible portion of a plant

Answer 10

ummm....fruits have sugar in them and vegetables don't.