Seedless watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) a sterile hybrid invented 50 years ago
Seedless watermelons were invented over 50 years ago, and they have few or no seeds. When we say seeds, we are talking about mature seeds, the black ones. Oftentimes, the white seed coats where a seed did not mature are assumed to be seeds. Watermelon breeders discovered that crossing a diploid plant (bearing the standard two sets of chromosomes) with a tetraploid plant (having four sets of chromosomes) results in a fruit that produces a triploid seed. (Yes, it has three sets of chromosomes). This seed grows fruit that rarely develops seeds, although you may find some empty white seed coats. The melon's flesh is firmer because the usual softening of the fruit around the seeds does not occur. a seedless watermelon is a sterile hybrid which is created by crossing male pollen for a watermelon, containing 22 chromosomes per cell, with a female watermelon flower with 44 chromosomes per cell. When this seeded fruit matures, the small, white seed coats inside contain 33 chromosomes, rendering it sterile and incapable of producing seeds. This is similar to the mule, produced by crossing a horse with a donkey.
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Photo credit: © Phil Portus / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: cell, cells, chromosomes, citrullus, convenience, food, fruit, health, healthy, hybrid, lanatus, natural, seedless, sterile, watermelon
