• Question: my little sis ate a plum sead does that mean a bean stalk will grow inside her

    Asked by anon-176398 to Ali, Jenny, Mark, Paul, Simran, Stephen on 13 Jun 2018.
    • Photo: Ali Hill

      Ali Hill answered on 13 Jun 2018:

      How awesome would that be?! But sadly no – there isn’t enough light and oxygen in your guts for a plant to grow (otherwise trust me, I would have tested that on MY little brother).

      Having said that, there’s a fig tree growing on the banks of the river Clyde in Glasgow. Scotland’s second city isn’t really known for the tropical conditions you’d usually need to grow figs. So scientists worked out that what had happened was a Roman soldier ate it and took a poo there. The seed travelled all the way through his body intact and then was able to grow into an entire plant when it came out in his poop. And it, or offshoots of it, have survived there for the last 2000 years.

      So in summary, no, but it would be different in she had a poop in the garden (which I don’t recommend as it can make you pretty ill).

    • Photo: Jenny Shepperson

      Jenny Shepperson answered on 13 Jun 2018:

      I used to worry this if I ate apple seeds! I’m pretty sure you’re safe there will be no tree growing inside her, but maybe next time stick to the yummy part of the fruit!

      Ali, why can pooping in the garden make you ill?

    • Photo: Mark Kirkwood

      Mark Kirkwood answered on 14 Jun 2018:

      In fact, the evolution of seeds has been towards NOT growing in your tummy!

      The structure of seeds has developed over many many years, to be able to avoid getting mushed up by your teeth, avoid getting digested by stomach acid, and be in one piece when it comes out the other end, ready to grow in the soil where it was “dropped”, along with some lovely fresh fertiliser (poo!) to get going.

      Ali probably means that, if you poo in the garden, those bacteria in your gut will start living in the soil, and may get spread around the garden, or onto any fruits and vegetables you’re growing, or just get on your hands. This could make you pretty sick if you ate them without washing or cooking them.

      It’s EXACTLY the reason pregnant ladies are told not to eat unwashed fruit and vegetables, because of a bacterium called Toxoplasma gondii that is found in cat poo. And you know where cats love to poop! This bug can make the growing baby really sick, so it’s important to avoid these foods if possible.

    • Photo: Simran Chopra

      Simran Chopra answered on 21 Jun 2018:

      Hey Fin

      I thought that was a story mothers use to tell their kids to stop them from eating seeds from fruits.
      Well if you have eaten one its fine and you will basically poop it.

      Most seeds have a hard coating outside them to protect them from birds and insects so if the bird eats it, mostly it won’t be broken down by the digestive system and would come out with poop and grow into plants and trees.

      There are some seeds that can be poisonous and there are few that we eat for nutritional value like pumpkin, cucumber, sesame, sunflower, sesame etc.

      Well, I adore a plum tree and if your sister grows one send me a picture.

      😀
      Sim

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