Question

From which part of Cocos nucifera, coir is obtained?
(a)Endocarp
(b)Mesocarp
(c)Epicarp
(d)Any part of the fruit

Answer 1

Hint: The coir is a natural fiber that is obtained from the coconut. The coconut is also called as the stone fruit or drupes. The coir is made of lignin and cellulose. The coir is made of a cell whose primary function is oil storage, which is made up of parenchymatic cells and contains oil droplets.

Complete answer:
Coir is a seed-hair fiber that is obtained from the exterior shell of the coconut which is the mesocarp cells. Each fiber is reddish-brown in color, and is made of minute threads which are about 0.001 to 0.004 inches long; 12 to 24 microns in diameter. Coir is used to make floor mats, brushes, and mattresses. White coir will be obtained from the unripe coconut which is generally used to make fishing nets, brushes, etc. It won’t sink in water and hence can be used in water.
The different coir processing steps will yield different types of coir fibers.
Brown Coir: The coir fibers will be soaked in slow-moving water so that the fibers will swell and become soft. The long fibers will be separated from the short mattress fibers. then both of them will undergo separate processing to obtain the final product.
White coir: The husks which are immature will be soaked in the river for up to 10 months. During this time period, the microorganisms will act upon the fibers to break down the plant tissues and to loosen the fibers. This process is known as retting. The fibers will undergo other processing and cleaning steps after which the fibers will become ready to be spun into the yarn.
Bristle coir: It is the longest coir fiber variety. It will be manufactured from the retted husks of coconut. It is used to prepare bristles in the brush.
So, the correct answer is ‘Mesocarp’.

Note: The coconut fibers have resistance to thermal conductivity, possess high toughness, ductility, and durable. They are cheap and hence it is proposed to be used as a construction material.