Ethene is a plant hormone. Explain how a fruit producer could use ethene to increase profits when transporting fruit over long distances.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
A fruit producer grows bananas in a tropical country and ships them to supermarkets in the United Kingdom. The journey takes several weeks.
Model answer (4 marks)
Harvest bananas when they are green and hard, before they are shipped.
Transport the unripe fruit over the long journey; because it is still hard it is less likely to be bruised and it has a longer shelf life.
Once the bananas arrive in the UK, expose them to ethene gas.
The ethene triggers ripening, so the fruit is ready to sell in a good condition, reducing waste and increasing profit.
Transport the unripe fruit over the long journey; because it is still hard it is less likely to be bruised and it has a longer shelf life.
Once the bananas arrive in the UK, expose them to ethene gas.
The ethene triggers ripening, so the fruit is ready to sell in a good condition, reducing waste and increasing profit.
Examiner tips
- Use the sequence: harvest unripe → transport → ethene → ripen → sell
- Mention that ethene is applied after transport, not during
- Show that unripe fruit is less damaged and has longer shelf life
Common mistakes
- Claiming ethene is used during transport, which is incorrect
- Forgetting to state that the fruit is harvested unripe
- Using vague terms like ‘make it better’ instead of ‘reduce damage and extend shelf life’
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- Fruit is harvested/transported whilst unripe (green/hard)
- Unripe fruit is less likely to be damaged / has a longer shelf life during transport
- Ethene is applied/used to stimulate ripening (after transport / on arrival)
- This means fruit arrives in good condition / can be sold ripe, reducing waste and increasing profit
Key terms in this question
Related
- Revision notes: Plant hormones →
- How to answer a "Explain" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
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