1001 Space Earth Nature Evolution Fossils and Prehistoric Life Dinosaurs Simple Animals Insects and Spiders Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds Sea Mammals Land Mammals Plant Kingdom How Plants Live Unusual Plants Ecology Conservation Animal Behaviour Pets and Farm Animals History Human World Science and Technology

Why does a fruit taste sweet? Fruits taste sweet because they are full of sugar. The plant fills them with sugar so that animals will eat them. Inside the fruit are the plant's seeds. When an animal eats the fruit, the seeds are not digested along with the rest of the fruit, but instead pass out of the animal's body unharmed. This may happen some distance from where the parent plant was growing. The distribution of seeds is called dispersal. There are many different fruits and berries, but they are all sweet tasting and brightly coloured.   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: Nature Chapter: How Plants Live