BSCI 124 - SECTION 2001
PLANT BIOLOGY FOR NON-SCIENCE MAJORS

Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics

The Origins of Agriculture and Human Nutrition

    AGRICULTURE
        I. Origins of Agriculture
            A. Before 10,000 years ago:  foragers/hunter gatherers
            B. Around 8,000 to 10,000 years ago
                1. Origins of Agriculture
                2. Plant domestication
        II. Characteristics of domesticated plants
        III. Centers of origin of agricultural crops.  Four early sites of agriculture:
            A. The Near East (Fertile Crescent): Cereals (barley, wheat, and rye) and legumes (lentils and peas).
            B. The Far East: Southeast Asia in Thailand and China: Rice, soybean, sugar cane, hemp.
            C. Africa: sorghum, coffee, millet.
            D. The New World
                1. East N. America: cranberries, sunflower.
                2. West N. America: pine nuts.
                3. Central America and Mexico: corn, cotton, common bean, squash, tomato, sweet potato, chili pepper, and chocolate.
                4. South America: white potato, tobacco, peanut.
        IV. Agriculture Today
            A. The World
                1. 3% of land is used for growing food and grazing animals.
                2. 97% is non-crop or non-grazing land, but rather consists of tundra, desert, forest, mountain, and tropical forests.
            B. The U.S.
                1. Four major US crops: corn, wheat, soybean, hay.
                2. Other US produced crops.
            C. Increases in yield per acre since 1950’s
                1. We have seen a 2 to 3 fold increase in crop production since the 1950’s without the use of new lands.  How can this be?

    HUMAN NUTRITION….why agricultural development is important
        V. Daily nutritional or energy needs in the human diet are supplied by: calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients.
            A. calorie = the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree celsius.
            B. Macronutrients = nutrients required in relatively large amounts.  Fuel for cellular respiration: fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
                1. Lipids:  Triglycerides (fats and oils), phospholipids, and cholesterol.
                2. Carbohydrates: monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides all converted or broken down to glucose.
                3. Proteins: structural/regulatory functions.  Nine of the 20 amino acids are essential amino acids.  What is a complete protein?
            C. Micronutrients = nutrients required in small amounts.  Two types: vitamins (organic) and minerals (inorganic).
                1. Vitamins: are organic compounds, important as coenzymes; are essential components of human nutrition.
                    a) Fat soluble vitamins: A, D, E, K
                    b) Water soluble vitamins: C and B
                    c) What are the functions, dietary food sources, and deficiency symptoms of vitamins A, C, D, and B?
                2. Minerals: are inorganic compounds
                    a) Calcium:  bones, teeth, blood, tissues.
                    b) Iron:  component of hemoglobin in blood cells.
                    c) Iodine: required for the formation of thyroid hormones.