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Published online 17 November 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1236
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Why fruit are groovy
Pumpkins, melons and gourds are ribbed and ridged by the buckling of their skin.
Why doesn't a pumpkin look like a balloon? Pumpkins and many other fruits and vegetables, such as gourds, melons and some tomatoes, aren't simply smooth, sphere-like shells with soft or empty interiors, but are marked by ribs, ridges or bulges that divide them into segments. A team of researchers in China and the United States think that there's a simple, universal reason for these patterns: they are caused by buckling as the fruits grow.
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This reminds me of the book "Life's Other Secret" - about how chemical and physical processes shape living things.