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The human population exploits and depends on many animal and plant species for food, mainly through agriculture, but also by exploiting wild populations, notably of marine fish. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] [ 12 ] Livestock animals are raised for meat across the world; they include (2011) around 1.4 billion cattle , 1.2 billion sheep and 1 billion domestic pigs .
Most human plant-based food calories come from maize, rice, and wheat. [12] Plants can be processed into bread, pasta, cereals, juices and jams, or raw ingredients such as sugar, herbs, spices and oils can be extracted. [13] Oilseeds are often pressed to produce rich oils: sunflower, flaxseed, rapeseed (including canola oil) and sesame. [14]
Animals require complex nutrients such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, obtaining them by consuming other organisms. Humans have developed agriculture and cooking to replace foraging and advance human nutrition. Plants acquire nutrients through the soil and the atmosphere.
Basic biological research has often been done with plants. In genetics , the breeding of pea plants allowed Gregor Mendel to derive the basic laws governing inheritance, [ 23 ] and examination of chromosomes in maize allowed Barbara McClintock to demonstrate their connection to inherited traits. [ 24 ]
Human nutrition deals with the provision of essential nutrients in food that are necessary to support human life and good health. [1] Poor nutrition is a chronic problem often linked to poverty, food security , or a poor understanding of nutritional requirements. [ 2 ]
In addition to basic needs, humans also have needs of a social or societal nature such as the human need for purpose, to socialize, to belong to a family or community or other group. Needs can be objective and physical, such as the need for food, or psychical and subjective, such as the need for self-esteem. Understanding both kinds of "unmet ...
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Meat is the tissue—usually muscle—of an animal consumed by humans. Since most parts of many animals are edible, there is a vast variety of meats. Meat is a major source of protein, as well as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. The category of meats, poultry, and fish include beef, chicken, pork, salmon, tuna, shrimp, and eggs.