http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ripening http://plantphys.info/plants_human/fruitgrowripe.html

G'day Geek860, Thank you for your question. According to Wikipedia, "A fruit is a ripened ovary. After the ovule in an ovary is fertilized in a process known as pollination, the ovary begins to ripen. The ovule develops into a seed and the ovary wall pericarp may become fleshy (as in berries or drupes), or form a hard outer covering (as in nuts). In some cases, the sepals, petals and/or stamens and style of the flower fall off. Fruit development continues until the seeds have matured. With some multiseeded fruits the extent to which the flesh develops is proportional to the number of fertilized ovules." The fruit releases a hormone called ethylene. According to Ask Yahoo!, " To get a little more technical, ethylene triggers the creation of enzymes, which cause starches and acids to break down into sugar. They also break down cell walls, softening the fruit. Fruits ripen in order to kick-start a new growing cycle, by providing their seeds with nutrients." I have attached sources for your reference. Regards Reference Wikipedia Fruit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit Ask Yahoo! http://ask.yahoo.com/20030327.html Singapore Science Centre http://www.science.edu.sg/ssc/detailed.jsp?artid=1485&type=6&root=4&parent=4&cat=36 Cornell http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/index.html?quid=205