wheat and rice

wheat seed features

Nutrients are concentrated in the bran and the germ, Einkorn has glumes, Naked grain - easily comes off the plant

wheat Origin

Mesopotamia

wheat Cultivation

requires high input of fertilizers, water, herbicides and pesticides. Monoculture

Durum wheat

used to make pastas

bread wheat

has high gluten content

Gluten

the protein that gives bread elasticity

Whole wheat bread

contains both the bran and the germ

white bread

only contains the endosperm, longer shelf life

Nutritional value of wheat

great source of carbohydrate and fiber, contains 13% protein

rice origins

southeast asia, evolved from marsh grass

rice Cultivation

grown along water fern, planted on flooded fields (rice has air chambers for this)

Long grain rice

doesn't stick together

Short grain rice

sticky

Brown rice

whole grain, has more vitamins, oil and fiber because it has the outer layer

White rice

diet on only white rice leads to thiamine deficiency (beriberi), mostly carbs and low on other nutrients

Golden Rice case study

genetically engineered to synthesize vitamin A, prevents blindness in developing countries

how do they make golden rice

Cut gene and plasmid with restriction enzymes, put them together to create a vector and shoot particles into the leaf of the plant, select cells to grow under specific conditions