How does coconut form?

Question

I've seen that at the earlier stage coconut is filed with water and, as time passes, the water inside the coconut escapes and a thick layer of white substance forms. Is the water converted into that white substance?

Answer 1

Yes, exactly! A young coconut has a very thin layer of what we typically call the "meat," or edible part, of the coconut. As the seed (which is really what it is) continues to develop, the "coconut water" undergoes cellular changes including the number of nuclei per cell, and binds to the growing layer on the inside surface. In a non-scientific but practical side note, there is another interesting distinction: young coconut "water" is thicker, has a more oily texture, and tastes just like coconut "meat" because it contains more of the "substance" that ultimately becomes the part of the coconut we all love, while a fully mature coconut's "water" has a more bland, vague flavor.