Part 2/7:
Ethylene causes climacteric fruits—like bananas and tomatoes—to ripen after being harvested. The ripening process, associated with increased ethylene production, results in fruits becoming sweeter, softer, and more palatable. This physiological change is characterized by a rise in respiratory activity in the fruit, leading to a climacteric rise and subsequent peak in carbon dioxide (CO2) production, before it declines post-ripening.