CORN: It’s Amaizing!

1. CORN: It’s Amaizing!

2. Why is corn important? • Today, corn is the most important economic crop grown in the United States. • There are more than 80 million acres of corn grown each year in America’s heartland. That is roughly equivalent to 80 million football fields! • Who depends on corn? Farmers, agricultural-equipment workers, Ranchers, food processors, chemical companies, and YOU!

3. What are some products that use corn? Peanut Butter Toothpaste Cereals Soft Drinks Chewing gum Firecrackers Snacks Degradable plastics Rugs Fuel alcohol Wallpaper

4. Anatomy of a Corn Plant

5. The Anatomy of a Corn Plant • Parts of a corn plant include: • tassel • silk • ear • leaf • stalk • roots • Mouse over each corn structure to find out more! Tassel Silk Ear Leaf Stalk Roots

6. Every corn plant has both male and female parts. The male part, which is known as the tassel, emerges from the top of the plant after all the leaves have formed. Small male flowers are located on the many branches of the tassel. A large number of pollen grains, which contains the male sex cells, are released from each male flower. Tassel Silk Ear Leaf Stalk Roots

7. From each female egg, a hair-like structure called a silk grows and eventually emerges from the top of the ear. Pollination occurs when pollen falls on the exposed silks. After pollination, a male sex cell grows down each silk to a single egg and fertilization (the joining of the male and female sex cells) occurs. The fertilized egg develops into a kernel and inside each kernel is a single embryo (a new plant). Tassel Silk Ear Leaf Stalk Roots

8. Tassel The female floral organ is called the ear. Corn ears include the silk, husk, kernels and cob of the corn plant. Harvesting the ears occurs when the plants mature. Silk Ear Leaf Stalk Roots

9. Tassel Corn plants can have numerous leaves on the stalk. The leaves can be long and typically grow up slightly before curving in a downward position.. Silk Ear Leaf Stalk Roots

10. Tassel The main body of the corn plant is called the stalk. It’s function is to support the ears of corn. Corn stalks can grow as high as 12-14 feet tall. Silk Ear Leaf Stalk Roots

11. Tassel Containing two different sections, the roots of the corn plant serve to add support for the corn plant and provide water and nutrients. The prop roots grow just on top of the soil while the crown roots are beneath the soil. Silk Ear Leaf Stalk Roots

12. Comparing/Contrasting Plant Anatomy Flower vs. Corn Stem Stalk Stamen Tassel Stigma Silk Pistil Ear Pollen grains Pollen grains Ovule – potential kernel Ovule

13. The Process of Corn Reproduction Click Here

14. Did corn always look like it does now? http://lutherburbankonline.com/LB/BLOG/image. axd?picture=2010%2F10%2FV3-c2-2.jpg http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-page-main/ehow/images/ a05/cb/cj/types-corn-planters-800x800.jpg Why not? http://media.photobucket.com/image /ancient%20teosinte/cetae/teosinte.jpg

15. The Purpose of Corn Hybridization • Create stronger plants to survive in various poor growing conditions – hybrid vigor • Higher yield • Produces healthier foods Click Here

16. What are some other plants today are grown from hybrid seed? • Soybeans • Wheat • Cotton • Peanuts

17. Crop Production Today… The process of hybridization has taken many, many years to create desirable crops. Sometimes, however, hybridization doesn’t completely develop ideal characteristics. Today, scientists are using biotechnology, or use of biological processes for human benefit, to improve the nutrition and yields of crops. Through biotechnology, scientists can now transfer desirable traits to plants such as drought resistance, insect resistance, or even nitrogen efficiency to create a higher yield in crops.