From Seed to Seed:
Plant Science for K-8 Educators

Plant Parts as Food

Let's look a little more closely at the different plant parts we use as food, the function that these parts serve in the plant, and the type of nutrition they provide to us.

Seeds. Plant seeds are the mainstays of the diets of most of the world's population. And most of us consume seeds in one form or another every day. Here's just one example: corn. Sources of corn in our diets include fresh corn, cornmeal (cornbread or tortillas), corn oil, cornstarch, and corn syrup.

Why are seeds such an important source of nutrients? When we consume seeds, we are consuming the food that the plant has stored in its seed to nourish the tiny embryo. Plants invest a lot of energy in flowering and forming seeds, so it makes sense that they would also provide a concentrated, high-quality source of nutrients to the germinating seed and growing embryo.