Seeds vs Pits
A seed is an ovule that contains an embryo inside, enclosed in a seed coat and usually contains some food. A seed results after fertilization when the ovule ripens. When the seed forms in seed plants, it marks the completion of the reproduction process. Reproduction begins with flower development and pollination, with the embryo developing from the zygote and the seed coat from the ovule’s skin.
The pit is the part of the fruit that protects the seed until such time when it can start to grow. It is the inner layer of a fruit’s (some fruits) pericarp that’s usually hard. However, only certain fruits have a pit. While there can only be one pit in a fruit, many seeds can be contained in a single fruit and this is a key differentiating factor of a seed and a pit, for instance a cherry contains a pit while a grape has got seeds. Other fruits with pits include olive, dates and plums.
There are other certain fruits that have a pit and seeds as well, for instance the plum, apricot, and peach. The pit in this case provides protection to the seed until such time when it can start to grow. Many other fruits only contain the seed which will grow when the conditions are right. The fruit, which develops when fertilization occurs, will be the ovary where the seed grows.
Like some seeds, some pits are also edible and contain a number of nutrients. Examples are date and avocado pits. It is widely accepted that pits have demonstrated more anti-viral effects than seeds. The greater part of this research has no laboratory proven efficacy, rather, conclusions are drawn from the lore of herbs and the ethnic tales from places where these kinds of fruits originate. It’s worth noting that pits should be consumed with due caution and some sound judgment is needed as they cannot replace conventional medicine to treat ailments.
Having side that, cherry pits are known to be poisonous when chewed in large quantities, as opposed to swallowing them all. Like apple seeds, cherry pits are known to contain some amount of cyanogenic acids. Accidentally eating these pits isn’t harmful as the body can detoxify the toxins in smaller quantities.
Summary
A seed is an ovule containing an embryo while a pit is the part of the fruit that protects the seed until growth time.
Seeds can be many or one in a fruit while pits are always one.
Pits are contained in cherry fruit, plums, peaches and dates while mangoes, oranges and apples have seeds.