human uses of plants. #1 plants are used as food define agriculture: “deliberately growing...

HUMAN USES OF PLANTS

#1 Plants are used as FOOD Define Agriculture: Deliberately growing specific plants for food or other purposes How long have we been doing this? 12,000 years

Although some 3,000 plants have been used as crops, 80% of human caloric intake come from just six crops! Can you name them? Corn, Wheat, Rice, Potatoes, Cassavo, and Sweet Potatoes

CORN is a grain or a grass that is also known as maize. It is the most widely used crop in the Americas.

Some corny Facts Corn is produced on every continent except Antarctica Corn is used as animal feed Corn is used in production of corn syrup (which is found in basically everything) More recently corn has been grown to produce ethanol to be used as an alternative fuel source to foreign oil. QUESTION??? Is the use of ethanol as a fuel a solution to Climate Change Problem? NO! Ethanol is a carbon containing material produced by living organisms and just like oil products when burned the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is still produced.

High Fructose Corn Syrup High fructose corn syrup is subjected to additional processes as compared to regular corn syrup. First, three types of enzymes (alpha-amylase, glucoamylase, and glucose-isomerase) are successively added to change the starch to glucose and then fructose. Pure glucose is then added to the mixture to create some ratio of fructose to glucose which comprises the final product high fructose corn syrup. There are various fructose-glucose ratios in high fructose corn syrup, including 90-10, 42-43, and 55-45. Since the United States Department of Agriculture subsidizes corn production but taxes imported sugar, high fructose corn syrup has become the default sweetener in many consumer food products.amylase, glucoamylase, and glucose-isomerase) are successively added to change the starch to glucose and then fructose. Pure glucose is then added to the mixture to create some ratio of fructose to glucose which comprises the final product high fructose corn syrup. There are various fructose-glucose ratios in high fructose corn syrup, including 90-10, 42-43, and 55-45. Since the United States Department of Agriculture subsidizes corn production but taxes imported sugar, high fructose corn syrup has become the default sweetener in many consumer food products. What is so bad about high fructose corn syrup? Glucose and sucrose can be broken down by all cells in the human body but fructose must be broken down by the liver. A person who has a diet loaded with high fructose corn syrup can overwork their liver which can lead to many health problems.

RICE is the seed of the Oryza sativa plant. Another grass plant-- Second to corn in production but because corn is largely grown for nonfood purposes, rice is the leading source of food in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

How do we get rice from the plant? The seeds of the rice plant are first milled using a rice huller to remove the chaff (the outer husks of the grain). At this point in the process, the product is called brown rice. The milling may be continued, removing the 'bran', i.e., the rest of the husk and the germ, thereby creating white rice. White rice, which keeps longer, lacks some important nutrients; in a limited diet which does not supplement the rice.rice huller to remove the chaff (the outer husks of the grain). At this point in the process, the product is called brown rice. The milling may be continued, removing the 'bran', i.e., the rest of the husk and the germ, thereby creating

WHEAT is another grass that is cultivated world-wide and is the leading source of vegetable protein in human food.

What is flour? Flour is the product obtained by grinding wheat kernels or berries. The kernel consists of three distinct parts: bran, the outer covering of the grain; germ, the embryo contained inside the kernel; and endosperm, the part of the kernel that makes white flour. During milling, the three parts are separated and recombined accordingly to achieve different types of flours. FLOUR CAN BE MADE FROM ANY OF THE GRAINS OR CEREALS.

POTATOES -Fourth largest food crop in the world -Starchy, tuberous plant native to the Andes region (Spanish introduced it to Europe 400 years ago) -Yield abundantly with little effort, but once potato is harvested, they are vulnerable to mold.

CASSAVA -Woody plant native to South America with a long, tapered, starchy root which is edible -Also known as tapioca, it can be deep fried (like french fries, made into dumplings, gravies, or puddings) -Also used as a biofuel and animal feed -Nigeria is largest producer, but Asia and South American countries also grow and consume in large amounts

SWEET POTATOES only a distant relative to the potato is actually more closely related to the morning glory plant

- Actually an ornamental perennial vine with pretty blue, purple, or pink flowers and heart-shaped leaves. -The tuberous root is the edible part of plant and is said to be more nutritious than a potato because it is rich in beta-carotene (Vit A), Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6

8 more crops account for most of the remaining 20% of human caloric intake: BananasSorghum (an African grain) Beans Coconuts SoybeansSugarcane BarleySugar Beets

#2 Human Use: MEDICINES Aspirin comes from acetyl salicydic acid made from white willow trees as they try to heal themselves

Quinine is taken from the bark of the cinchona tree to treat malaria

Medicines organically isolated from plants Or many herbs in pure form are still used today! 80% of all medicinal drugs originate in wild plants!!! 25% of all prescriptions written in the US still contain chemicals directly from plants!!!

In spite of these statistics, only 2% of the worlds plant species have ever been tested for their medicinal potential! Imagine the potential cures out there

#3 Use -- CLOTHING

Cotton is King!!! Cotton is a soft, fluffy stable fiber that grows in a boll around the seeds of a cotton plant. The shrub is native to tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. The fiber is most often spun into yarn or thread to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely used natural-fiber cloth used in clothing today. First cultivated for cloth some 7000 years ago in the region that is now Pakistan.

Linen is obtained from the flax plant

Rayon manufactured from cellulose (sugar from cell wall of plants)

#4 Use--FUEL Aside from the obvious fact that oil itself is a product of ancient plants left to decompose under tremendous pressure over a period of millions of years Humans have been using modern plants and plant products as fuel to cook food, keep warm, or generate electricity!!! CAN YOU THINK OF ANY?

Ethanol This renewable energy source can be made from common crops such as corn, potatoes, and sugarcane. Many people are concerned about ethanol production driving up the cost of food, and directly resulting in world-wide food shortages. Ethanol is ethyl alcohol, the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. It is most often used as a motor fuel, mainly as a biofuel additive for gasoline.

Soy Diesel-Burns cleaner than gasoline Soy biodiesel is fuel alternative produced from soybean oil. Biodiesel contains no petroleum diesel, but it can be blended with petroleum diesel. The use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and soot. Some argue that the use of biodiesel does not increase the CO2 level in the atmosphere, since growing soybeans also consumes CO2.

What about Wood? The burning of wood is still the largest use of solid fuel biomass. The use of wood as fuel is as old as civilization itself. Burns fairly dirty.

#5 UseHealth and Beauty Products Including perfumes, moisturizers, cleaning products, shampoos, candles, etc

Use # 6-- Aesthetics Houseplants, floral arrangements, Landscaping

and lets not forget Christmas trees, wreaths, garland

PLANTS What would we do without them? The End

human uses of plants. #1 plants are used as food define agriculture: “deliberately growing...

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