![]() While corn is quite special in its own way, it is not the only important crop that is part of the grass family. You can find grasses almost anywhere: your front lawn, the prairies, the African savannah, many forests and deserts, near the ocean and up high in the mountains. With approximately 12,000 species, the grass family has members almost all over the world. mays, and is a part of the grass family or Poaceae. ![]() Corn: A Unique Member of a Very Popular Plant FamilyĬorn-also known as maize, goes by the scientific name Zea mays subsp. These local farming methods are very important for maintaining the genetic diversity of corn, which needs to be understood and protected to adapt to the changes in the environment that are likely to happen in the future, due to climate change. On the American continent, landraces are kept and actively modified by small farmers. Such diverse cuisine relies, in turn, on the use of hundreds of different maize varieties, called landraces, which need different growth conditions and differ in color, size, and flavor. In some cases, corn is eaten as a side dish, and in some places like Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and some African countries, corn makes up the main component of their cuisine. Nowadays, corn continues to be one of the most important grain crops in the world, and corn is a central part of the diet of many people. Corn is dependent on human assistance for its survival, while many pre-Columbian civilizations relied on it for their nutrition. Some of the biggest differences between teosinte and corn are due to human farming practices and selection of teosinte mutants. While corn and teosinte share many features, the “cob” present in corn, on which many grains or kernels are attached, is a unique feature of corn. Corn was first produced in what is now Mexico around 6,000 years ago, from a weed called teosinte. I am also fascinated by the rich variety of plant species that the people that originally lived in Mexico domesticated and diversified, many of which persist nowadays: over 15% of the food plants of the whole world come from our Country! We are therefore devoted to helping preserve such important diversity.Ĭorn (also called maize) is a useful plant that is part of the grass family (called Poaceae). So we have lately started to apply our tools and approaches to biomedical issues, such as cancer, that we consider to be a developmental health problem. More recently, I have realized that some of the discoveries that we have made in plants can also be useful to understand animal development and how it gets disrupted during illness. I also like to use mathematical and computer models to understand how multiple components are at play in development. So, most of my efforts have been devoted to understanding how plants grow and develop. I have always been fascinated with development, and plants are wonderful to tell us their life histories as they cope with wind, dry soils, or too much or too little sunshine! Their architectures and growth habits make them fascinating creatures to ask questions about development. My father wanted me to become a medical doctor, but I would rather spend my days watching the fruit trees in our garden, in the South end of Mexico City, observing how they grew flowers and fruits from apparently dry twigs. DOI: 10.5021/ad.2016.28.6.Since I was a child I have been fascinated by life! My parents were both life scientists, and we all learned how fascinating it is to learn about plants and animals. A cutaneous horn-like form of juvenile xanthogranuloma. ![]() A pedunculated giant cutaneous horn variant overlying invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp. A giant cutaneous horn projecting from verrucous carcinoma of buccal mucosa: A rare case report. ![]() Incidental merkel cell carcinoma in a cutaneous horn: A case report. Multiple giant cutaneous horns in a renal transplant recipient. Photoletter to the editor: Giant cutaneous horn associated with squamous cell carcinoma. Cutaneous horn arising from an area of discoid lupus erythematosus on the scalp. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. ![]()
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