Chapter 1
The inner engine of plants
Chapter 2
The wild world of plant romance
Chapter 3
Extreme survivors of the plant kingdom
Chapter 4
Plants that shaped human history
YOUR GOAL
Master of The essentials of botany
Ch 4 · Plants that shaped human history
sonia Plants that shaped human history
From Andean soil, a simple crop, / The potato, the potato, / Made Europe's numbers pop!
sonia The high demand for plant spices drove European exploration and global colonization.
Fun Fact
Space-grown veggies: In 2015, astronauts aboard the International Space Station harvested and ate red romaine lettuce, marking the first time humans consumed food grown entirely in space.
Glossary
domestication (noun)
The process of adapting wild plants or animals for human use. Around 10,000 BCE, Fertile Crescent societies began cultivating wild wheat, triggering the rise of global agrarian civilizations.
The process of adapting wild plants or animals for human use. Around 10,000 BCE, Fertile Crescent societies began cultivating wild wheat, triggering the rise of global agrarian civilizations.
Quiz
Roughly what percentage of modern prescription drugs contain active ingredients originally derived from plants?
Quiz
Which island group was historically known as the Spice Islands, the exclusive source of nutmeg?
Quiz
Which American scientist is known as the father of the Green Revolution for developing high-yielding dwarf wheat?
Quiz
Which Portuguese explorer sailed around Africa in 1498 to find a direct sea route for spices?
Quiz
What was the first crop grown and eaten by astronauts in space on the International Space Station?
Quiz
Around 10,000 years ago, which wild grass was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent?