Juice vesicles

Juice vesicles are the small, membrane-bound, sac-like structures found in the pulp of citrus fruit that hold the fruit juice. Citrus varieties with more segments tend to pack more vesicles into each segment than varieties with fewer segments, and the vesicle membranes alone make up roughly 5 percent of an average orange weight; the vesicles carry the aromatic compounds, vitamins, minerals and acids that give citrus fruit its characteristic taste. Beyond their role in the fruit itself, juice vesicles are extracted and processed commercially to make juice, beverage bases, animal feed and food additives.