I Can’t Sleep - Fruit | Relaxing Bedtime Reading for Sleep

Episode Date: October 6, 2021

Unwind with this calm bedtime reading on fruit, perfect for easing insomnia and bringing restful sleep. Benjamin’s soothing voice explores the biology, history, and cultural importance of fruits, from their role in plant reproduction to their place in human diets and traditions. His gentle cadence transforms everyday knowledge into a peaceful nighttime story. This is not whispering or hypnosis—just calm, fact-filled narration to quiet the mind, reduce stress, and help with sleepless nights. Press play, close your eyes, and let thoughts of fruit guide you gently into dreams. Want More? Request a Topic: https://www.icantsleeppodcast.com/request-a-topic Ad-Free Episodes: https://icantsleep.supportingcast.fm/ Shop Sleep-Friendly Products: https://www.icantsleeppodcast.com/sponsors Join the Discussion on Discord: https://discord.gg/myhGhVUhn7 This content is derived from the Wikipedia article on Fruit, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. Read the full article: Wikipedia – Fruit. Happy sleeping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're listening to a Glassbox media podcast. What if I told you that most of the modern day self-help advice you've been hearing could actually make you worse? The key to a better life isn't about feel-good gimmicks that sound catchy. The Mentally Stronger Podcast gives you access to a licensed therapist who shares science-backed tools that will actually change your life. Hi, I'm Amy Morin, psychotherapist, mental strength trainer, and international best-selling author. In each episode, we cover research-back strategies, like how to stop relying on willpower and start creating habits for lasting change. And the five mental strength-building exercises you can do from your couch.

I also speak to world-class experts like Dr. Nicole Kane, who shares how to permanently heal anxiety by addressing the root cause. With over 200 episodes in our catalog, this podcast is for you if you're ready to crush self-doubt, conquer challenges, and become stronger than ever with therapist-approved strategies that can change your life. Listen to Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin, wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the I Can't Sleep podcast, where I read random articles from across the web to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice. I'm your host, Benjamin Boster. Today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled Fruit.

In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants, also known as angiosperms, disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propagated, using the movements of humans and animals in the symbiolences. relationship, that is the means for seed dispersal for the one group and nutrition for the other. In fact, humans and many animals have become dependent on fruits as a source of food. Consequently, fruits account for a substantial fraction of the world's agricultural output, and some, such as the apple and the pomegranate, have acquired extensive cultural and symbolic meanings. In common language usage, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures or produce of plants

that typically are sweet or sour and edible in the raw state, such as apples, bananas, grapes, lemons, oranges, and strawberries. In botanical usage, the term fruit also includes many structures that are not commonly called fruits, such as nuts, bean pods, corn kernels, tomatoes, and wheat grains. Botanical versus culinary. Many common language terms used for fruit and seeds differ from botanical classifications. For example, in botany, a fruit is a ripened ovary or a carpal that contains seeds, e.g. an apple or a pomegranate, or a tomato. A nut is a type of fruit and not a seed, and a seed is a ripened ovule.

In culinary language, a fruit, so-called, is the sweet or not sweet, even sour-tasting produce, of a specific plant, e.g. a peach, pear, or lemon. Nuts are hard, oily, non-sweet plant produce in shells, hazelnut, acorn. Vegetables, so called, typically, are savory or non-sweet produce, zucchini, lettuce, broccoli, and tomato. But some may be sweet-tasting, sweet potato. Examples of botanically classified fruit that typically are called vegetables include cucumber, pumpkin, and squash, all our cucurbits, beans, peanuts, and peas,

all legumes, corn, eggplant, bell pepper, or sweet pepper, and tomato. The spices, chili pepper, and all spice are fruits, botanically speaking. In contrast, rhubarb is often called a fruit when used in making pies, but the edible produce of rhubarb is actually the leaf stock or petiole of the plant. Edible gynosperm seeds are often given fruit names, e.g. ginkgo nuts and pine nuts. Botanically, a cereal grain, such as corn, rice, or weed, is a kind of, of fruit termed a cariopsis. However, the fruit wall is then infused the seed coat, so almost all the edible grain fruit is actually a seed. Structure. The outer layer, often edible of most fruits, is called

the paracarp. Typically formed from the ovary it surrounds the seeds. In some species, however, other structural tissues contribute to or form the edible portion. The paracarp may be described in three layers from outer to inner, i.e. the epicarp, mesocarp, and endocarp. Fruit that bears a prominent pointed terminal projection is said to beeked. Fungi. A section of a fungus that produces spores is called a fruiting body. Fungi are members of the fungi kingdom and not of the plant kingdom. development.

A fruit results from the fertilizing and maturing of one or more flowers. The genetium, which contains the stigma-style ovary system, is centered in the flower head, and it forms all or part of the fruit. Inside the ovaries are one or more ovules. Here begins a complex sequence called double fertilization. A female gametophy produces an egg set. for the purpose of fertilization. A female gametophyte is called a mega gametified and also called the embryosac. After double fertilization, the ovules will become seeds. Oveules are fertilized in a process

that starts with pollination, which is the movement of pollen from the stamens to the stigma-style ovary system within the flower head. After pollination, a pollen tube grows from the depotions. posited pollen through the stigma, down the style, into the ovary, to the ovule. Two sperm are transferred from the pollen to a megamina fide. Within the megamidophyte, one sperm unites with the egg, forming a zygote, while the second sperm enters the central cell forming the endosperm mother cell, which completes the double fertilization process. Later, the zygote will give rise to the embryo,

of the seed and the endosperm mother's cell will give rise to endosperm, a nutritive tissue used by the embryo. As the ovules develop into seeds, the ovary begins to ripen, and the ovary wall, the paracarp, may become fleshy as in berries or droops, or may form a hard outer covering as in nuts. In some multi-seated fruits, the extent to which a fleshy structure develops, is proportional to the number of fertilized ovules. The paracarp typically is differentiated into two or three distinct layers. These are called the exocarp at a layer, also called epicarp, mesocarp, middle layer, and endocarp, inner layer. In some fruits, the sepals, petals, stamens, and or the style of the flower fall away as a fleshy fruit ripens.

However, for simple fruits derived from an inferior ovary, i.e. one that lies below the attachment of other floral parts, there are parts, including petals, sepals, and stamens that fuse with the ovary and ripen with it. For such a case, when floral parts other than the ovary, form a significant part of the fruit that develops, it is called an accessory fruit. Examples of accessory fruits include apple, rose-hib, strawberry, and pineapple. Because several parts of the flower besides the ovary may contribute to the structure of a fruit, it is important to study flower structure to understand how a particular fruit forms. There are three general modes of fruit development.

Apocarpus fruits develop from a single flower while having one or more separate, unfused carpels. They are the simple fruits. Syncarpus fruits develop from a single genitium, having two or more carples used together. Multiple fruits form from many flowers, i.e. and n fluorescence of flowers. Classification of fruits. Consistent with the three modes of fruit development, plant scientists have classified fruits into three main groups, simple fruits, aggregate fruits, and multiple or composite fruits. The groupings reflect how the ovary and other flower organs are arranged and how the fruits develop,

but they are not evolutionarily relevant as diverse plant taxa may be in the same group. Simple fruits are the result of the ripening to fruit of a simple or compound ovary in a single flower with a single pistol. In contrast, the single flower with numerous pistols typically produces an aggregate fruit, and the merging of several flowers, or a multiple of flowers, results in a multiple fruit.

A simple fruit is further classified as to whether it is dry or fleshy. To distribute their seeds, dry fruits may split open and discharge their seeds to the winds, which is called dehiscence, or the distribution process may rely upon the decay and degradation of the fruit to expose the seeds, or it may rely upon the eating of fruit and excreting of seeds by frugivores. Both are called indahescence.

Fleshy fruits do not split open, but they also are indahescent, and they may also rely on frugivores for distribution of their seeds. Typically the entire outer layer of the ovary wall ripens into a potential. potentially edible paracarp. Berries. Berries are a type of simple, fleshy fruit that issues from a single ovary. The ovary itself may be compound with several carpels. The botanical term true berry includes grapes, currants, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers, and bananas, but excludes certain fruits that are called berry by culinary custom, or by common usage of the term, such as strawberries and raspberries.

Berries may be formed from one or more carpels, i.e. from the simple or compound ovary, from the same single flower. Seeds typically are embedded in the fleshy interior of the ovary. Examples are tomato, in culinary terms, a tomato is regarded as a vegetable, but it is botanically classified as a fruit and a berry. Banana. The fruit has been described as a leathery berry, in cultivated varieties the seeds are diminished nearly to non-existence. Peppo. Berries with skin that is hardened. Cucarbits, including gords, squash, melons.

Hesperidium. Berries with a rind and a juicy interior, most citrus fruit. Cranberry, gooseberry, red currant, grape. The strawberry, regardless of its appearance, is classified as a dry, not a fleshy fruit. Botanically, it is not a berry. It is an aggregate accessory fruit. The latter term, meaning the fleshy part is derived not from the plant's ovaries, but from the receptacle that holds the ovaries. Numerous dry achines are attached to the outside of the fruit flesh. They appear to be seeds, but each is actually an ovary of a flower with a seed inside.

Schizocarps are dry fruits, though some appear to be fleshy. They originate from syncarpus ovaries but do not actually de hiss, rather they split into segments with one or more seeds. They include a number of different forms from a wide range of families, including carrot, parsnip, parsley, cumin. Aggregate fruits. An aggregate fruit is also called an aggregation or atario. It develops from a single flower that presents numerous simple pistols.

Each pistol contains one carpal. Together they form a fruitlet. The ultimate fruiting development of the aggregation of pistols is called an aggregate fruit, aterio fruit, or simply an atario. Different types of aggregate fruits can produce different atterios, such as achines, druplets, follicles, and berries. For example, the renunculae species, including Clamatis and renunculus, produces an itario of achines. Rubus species, including raspberry, and atario of druplets.

Calotropus species, an atario of follicles fruit. Anona species, and atario of berries. Some other broadly recognized species and their atterios or aggregations are Teasel, fruit is an aggregation of Cypselis. Tulip tree, fruit is an aggregation of Samaras. Magnolia and Peony, fruit is an aggregation of follicles. American sweet gum, fruit is an aggregation of capsulis. Sycamore, fruit is an aggregation of achines.

The raspberry, its pistols are called droplets, because each pistol is like a small droop attached to the receptacle. In some bramble fruits such as blackberry, the receptacle and accessory part, it elongates and then develops this part of the fruit, making the blackberry a fruit. The strawberry is also an aggregate accessory fruit of which the seeds are contained in the Akeens. notably in all these examples the fruit develops from a single flower with numerous pistols multiple fruits a multiple fruit is formed from a cluster of flowers a multiple of flowers also called an inflorescence each smallish flower produces a single fruitlet which as all develop all emerge into one mass of fruit examples include pineapple fig mulberry, osage orange, breadfruit.

An inflorescence, a cluster of white flowers, called a head, is produced first. After fertilization, each flower in the cluster develops into a droop. As the droops expand, they develop as a conate organ, merging into a multiple fleshy fruit called a syncarp. Progressive stages of multiple flowering and fruit development can be observed on a single branch of the Indian mulberry, or noni. During the sequence of development, a progression of second, third, and more inflorescences are initiated in turn at the head of the branch or stem.

Accessory fruit forms. For some fruits, some or all of the edible parts do not issue from the ovary. Some fruit development can comprise all the pistols and other parts produced from one flower, as well as all those produced from many flowers. This form of development is called accessory fruiting, and it occurs among all three classes of fruit development, simple, aggregate, and multiple. Accessory fruits are frequently designated by the hyphenated term showing both characters,

e.g. pineapple is a multiple accessory fruit. Seedless fruits Seedlessness is an important feature of some fruits of commerce. Commercial cultivars of bananas and pineapples are examples of seedless fruits. Some cultivars of citrus fruits, especially grapefruit, mandarin oranges, naval oranges, satimus, table grapes, and of watermelons are valued for their seedlessness. In some species, seedlessness is a result of parthenocarpi, where fruits set without fertilization.

Parthinacarpic fruit set may or may not require pollination, but most seedless citrus fruits require a stimulus from pollination to produce fruit. Seedless bananas and grapes are triploids, and seedlessness results from the abortion of the embryonic plant that is produced by fertilization. A phenomenon known as stenospermacarpie, which requires normal pollination and fertilization. Seed dissemination. Variations in fruit structures largely depend on the modes of dispersal applied to their seeds. Aspercial is achieved by wind or water, by explosive dehiscence, and by interactions with animals.

Some fruits present their outer skins or shells coated with spikes or hooked burrs. These evolved either to deter would be for a ger. from feeding on them, or to serve to attach themselves to the hair, feathers, legs, or clothing of animals, thereby using them as dispersal agents. These plants are termed zucorous. Common examples include Cocklebur, unicorn plant, and Begartics or Spanish Needle. By developments of mutual evolution, the fleshy produce of fruits typically appeals to hungry animals, such that this seeds contained within are taken in, carried away, and later deposited at a distance from the parent plant. Likewise, the nutritious, oily kernels of nuts typically motivate birds and squirrels to

hoard them, burying them in soil to retrieve later during the winter of scarcity. Thereby, uneaten seeds are sown effectively under natural conditions to germinate, and grow a new plant to some distance away from the parent. Other fruits have evolved, flattened, and elongated wings or helicopter-like blades, e.g. elm, maple, and tulip tree. This mechanism increases dispersal distance away from the parent via wind. Other wind-dispersed fruit have tiny parachutes, e.g. dandelion, milkweed, salsify. Coconut fruits can float thousands of miles in the ocean, thereby spreading their seeds. Other fruits that can disperse via water are nipapalm and screw pine.

Some fruits have evolved propulsive mechanisms that fling seed substantial distances via explosive dehiscence or other such mechanisms. Food uses Fleshy simple fruits from apples to berries to watermelon. Dry simple fruits, including beans and rice, coconuts and carrots and carrots, aggregate fruits including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, pawpaw. Multiple fruits such as pineapple, fig, mulberries, are commercially valuable as human food. They are eaten both fresh and as jams, marmalade, and other fruit preserves. They are used extensively in manufactured and processed

foods, cakes, cookies, baked goods, flavorings, ice cream, yogurt, canned vegetables, frozen vegetables and meals, and beverages such as fruit juices and alcoholic beverages, brandy, fruit beer, wine. Spices like vanilla, black pepper, paprika, and all spice are derived from berries. Olive fruit is pressed for olive oil, and similar processing is applied to other oil-bearing fruits and vegetables. Fruits are also used for socializing and gift-giving in the form of fruit baskets and fruit bouquets. Typically many botanical fruits, vegetables, and culinary parlons,

including tomato, green beans, leaf green, spell pepper, cucumber, eggplant, okra, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, are bought and sold daily. in fresh produce markets and green groceries, and carried back to kitchens at home or restaurant for preparation of meals. Storage. All fruits benefit from proper post-harvest care, and in many fruits, the plant hormone ethylene causes ripening. Therefore, maintaining most fruits in an efficient cold chain is optimal for post-harvest storage, with the aim of extending and ensuring shelf life. nutritional value. Various culinary fruits provide significant amounts of fiber and water,

and many are generally high in vitamin C. An overview of numerous studies showed that fruits, e.g. whole apples or whole oranges, are satisfying, filling, by simply eating and chewing them. The dietary fiber consumed in eating fruit promotes satiety and may help to control body weight and aid reduction of blood cholesterol, a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Fruit consumption is under preliminary research for the potential to improve nutrition and affect chronic diseases. Regular consumption of fruit is generally associated with reduced risk of several diseases and functional declines associated with aging. Food safety. For food safety, for food safety, the CDC recommends proper fruit handling and preparation to reduce the risk of food contamination

and foodborne illness. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be carefully selected. At a store they should not be damaged or bruised, and pre-cut pieces should be refrigerated or surrounded by ice. All fruits and vegetables should be rinsed before eating. This recommendation also applies to produce with rinds or skins that are not eaten. It should be done just before preparing or eating to avoid premature spoilage. Fruits and vegetables should be kept separate from raw foods like meat, poultry, and seafood, as well as from utensils that have come in contact with raw foods. Fruits and vegetables that are not going to be cooked should be thrown away if they have

touched raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs. all cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables should be refrigerated within two hours. After a certain time, harmful bacteria may grow on them and increase the risk of foodborne illness. Allergies Fruit allergies make up about 10% of all food-related allergies. Non-food uses Because fruits have been such a major part of the human diet, various cultures have developed many different uses for fruits.

they do not depend on for food. For example, bayberry fruits provide a wax often used to make candles. Many dry fruits are used as decorations or in dried flower arrangements, e.g. annual honesty, cotton Easter, lotus, milkweed, unicorn plant, and wheat. Ornamental trees and shrubs are often cultivated for their colorful fruits, including Beautyberry, Cotton Easter, Olly, Pyracantha, Schemia, and Viburnum. Fruits of Opium Poppy are the source of opium, which contains the drugs codeine and morphine, as well as the biologically inactive chemical theobane, from which the drug oxycodone is synthesized. Osage orange fruits are used to repel cockroaches. Many fruits provide natural dyes, e.g. Cherry, mulberry, sumac, and walnut.

Tried gourds are used as birdhouses, cups, decorations, dishes, musical instruments, and water jugs. Pumpkins are carved into jackal anons for Halloween. The spiny fruit of burdock or cocklebur inspired the invention of Velcro. Coir fiber from coconut shells is used for brushes, doormats, floor tiles, insulation, mattresses, sacking, and as a growing medium for container plants. The shell of the coconut fruit is used to make birdhouses, bowls, cups, musical instruments, and souvenir heads. Fruit is often a subject of still-life paintings. Fruit flies. Fruit flies are species of flies that lay eggs in the flesh of fruit. The pupae then consume the fruit before

maturing into adult flies. Some species lay their eggs in fruit that is rotten or is done maturing. Others, however, attack the host fruit before it is ripe, causing significant losses of fruit crops. The Queensland fruit fly causes more than $28 million in damage to Australian fruit crops a year. Combating this pest without using harmful pesticides is an active area of research.