What is the function of the fuzz on the skin of a peach? And is a nectarine a bald peach or a peach a fuzzy nectarine?
• The fuzz is there to protect the peach, which it does in various ways. It slows water loss by evaporation and can trap moisture, forming a protective layer over the fruit’s surface. The fuzz also affects the electric charge of the fruit surface, preventing substances from sticking to the peach’s skin. And it acts as a defence mechanism against certain insects, even preventing them from laying eggs.
To answer the second part of the question, I would say that the nectarine is a bald peach. Genetically, the fruits are virtually identical, differing only in the peach having a dominant gene that gives it fuzzy skin, while the nectarine has a recessive gene that results in smooth skin.
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Mark Ruth
Nairobi, Kenya
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