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What Is This? A Stony, Bloody Battlefield?

Hint: It's related to the rose and can put the "white" back in your pearly whites.

By Andrew Grant
May 6, 2009 5:00 AMNov 12, 2019 4:33 AM
whatisthis.jpg
Dr Havi Sarfaty, Veterinary Association, Photo Courtesy of Nikon Small World | NULL

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Answer: A strawberry

The strawberry is a member of the Rosaceae family, the same as the common rose. This image from a scanning electron microscope clearly reveals the seeds—and hairlike strands—on the berry’s surface. Strawberries are known as accessory fruits because they are not derived exclusively from the plant’s ovaries—the seeds are the actual “fruit.”

Strawberries have plenty of health benefits when consumed, but they can also help with hygiene. A crushed strawberry mixed with baking soda can whiten teeth, thanks to the stain-fighting effects of the fruit’s malic acid.

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