“But fruits aren’t just for us. They’re a clever evolutionary strategy. By making themselves tasty and appealing, plants ensure that animals (including humans) will eat them and disperse their seeds.”
I thought fruits are nutritious because they are there to support the seed during its journey.
Nope, the fruit is for the humans or whatever pollinators, as a reward, in a similar way that pollen is a reward for bees.
The food for the seed is inside of the seed, which is often not the fruit. Most fruits are different anatomically, but you will find that an apple has little seeds, you open it and you will find endosperm in it, mostly food for the little embryo in the seed.
For stuff like wheat we really do eat the endosperm, but for stuff like apples and watermelons and peaches, we spit out the seeds. (For peaches we often don't even see the seed, which is hidden inside of a woody endocarp, you can crack it open and find the actual seed inside.
So if you thought that the peach meat was the food for the seed you were doubly wrong, you need to go several layers deep in order to find the seed food.
Nectar is the reward for bees to get them to carry the pollen.
Oh you are right, got them mixed up
Thank you. This was eye opening.