Why Plants are Important for Us?
Even since the existence of human race, man has been dependent on the plants for his survival. Primitive man had rather fewer needs food and shelter. However, with civilization man's needs have increased and consequently his dependent upon plants is much more now,.
Plants used by ancient civilization were wild ones. Man in the process of using these plants, has frequently domesticated them and shaped them to his needs.Cultivated plants have arisen from the wild plants through the process of domestication.
Cereals and Millets
The cereals are the important source of food for man. They contain a high percentage of carbohydrates together with considerable amount of proteins, vitamins and fats. There are rice, wheat, maize, barley, oat and rye.
Millets (small grains): Sorghum, Pearl Millet, and Finger millet.
Legumes and Nuts:
The legumes or pulses are next to cereals in importance. They contain more protein material than any other vegetable product.
The nut makes a valuable food material due to the presence of high protein and fat. Chestnut, coconut, pea nut, cashew nut, walnut etc.
- Lists of High Protein Rich Foods
List of Protein Rich Foods
Fruits and Vegetables
The plants which store up reserve food in stems, leaves, fruits, and roots are grouped into vegetables. The nutritive value of vegetables is very high, due to the presence of mineral salts and vitamins.
Fruits have been divided into two groups: Tropical fruits and temperate fruits
- Tropical fruits: Mango, Citrus fruits, Guava, Pine apple, sugar apple, litchi
- Temperate fruits: Apple, grape, strawberries, peach, plum, grape.
Vegetables
Common name
| Scientific name
| Parts used
|
|---|---|---|
Carrot
| Daucus carota
| Root
|
Radish
| Raphanus sativa
| Root
|
Turnip
| Brassica rapa
| Root
|
Beet
| Beta vulgaris
| Root
|
Potato
| Solanum tuberosum
| Stem tuber
|
Onion
| Allium cepa
| Stem
|
Cabbage
| Brassica oleracea
| leaves
|
Spinach
| Spinacea oleracea
| leaves
|
Lettuce
| Lactuca sativa
| Leaves
|
Tomato
| Lycoperscion esculentum
| Fruit
|
Cucumber
| Cucumis sp
| Fruit
|
Pumpkins
| Cucurbita sp
| Fruit
|
Brinjal
| Solanum melongena
| Fruit
|
Chillies
| Capsicum sp
| Fruit
|
Lady's finger
| Abelmoschus esculentus
| Fruit
|
Plants are imporant source of fibres
About 2000 species odf plant yield various fibres all over the world.
The fibre yielding plants-
Fibre Yielding Plants
No
| Common Name
| Scientific Name
|
|---|---|---|
1
| Cotton
| Gossypium species
|
2
| Jute
| Corchras capularis
|
3
| Flax
| Linum usitatissimum
|
4
| Hemp
| Cannabis sativa
|
5
| Coir
| Cocos nucufera
|
Plants are important source of Fatty oils.
They are usually stored up in seeds of plants, sometimes to a less extent in fruits, stems and other organs. Fatty oils are used as cooking media.
Oil seeds
No
| Common Name
| Botanical Name
|
|---|---|---|
1
| Groundnut
| Arachis hypogea
|
2
| Castor
| Ricinus communis
|
3
| Linseed
| Linum usitatissium
|
4
| Sesame
| Sesamum indicum
|
5
| Rape
| Brassica species
|
6
| Safflower
| Carthamus tinctorius
|
7
| Coconut
| Cocos nucifera
|
8
| Soybean
| Glycine max
|
- Health Benefits of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)
10 Amazing Health Benefits of Nutmeg - The Health Benefits of Brahmi
Medicinal uses of Brahmi(Bacopa monnieri)
Medicinal plants
Most drugs are obtained from wild plants growing in all parts of the world, especially in tropical regions.
- Medicinal Plants
Different drugs are obtained from the different parts of plants - List of Medicinal Plants and their active ingrediants
Medicinal plants and its uses
Gooseberrry( Emblica offlicinalis): deciduous tree, used in triphala drug used in purgatives, enlarged liver and eye inflammation, richest source of vitamin C, juice used in jaundice, anemia and indigestion.
Pine(Pinus roxburghii): oil used as stimulant and expectorant in chronic bronchitis, checks constipation.
Cichona officinalis, bark gives quinine (anti malarial), also used in eye lotions.
Plants are important source of Paper and Pulp
One of the important uses of cellulose is in the manufacture of paper. Fibrous wood is used for making pulp and paper. Reed papyrus, Conifer fir, Spruce are suitable. Bamboo is also used.
Timber and wood
Wood is the widely used commodity after food and clothing.
The hard wood group is of: Teak, Eucalyptus, Sal etc and soft wood group has conifers, deodar, pine etc.
- Plant Based Vaccines
The story of vaccination begins in 1796, when Edward Jenner found out vaccine for smallpox. The milestone discovery leads to the prevention of number of dreadful diseases. Now is era of recombinant vaccine. The problems associated with recombinant va
Resins, Dyes, and Gums
They are found in stems and occur in special canals or ducts.
Resins: Tree exudates, soluble in alcohol. Pines are used.
Gums: Secretion from wounds, Acacia senegal gives arabic gum, Boswillia serata, Anogeissus latifolia, Sterculia urens etc give gums
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