9781422272893

AGRICULTURE Agriculture is the science and process of raising livestock and cultivating plants, primarily for human consumption. Agriculture is responsible for successful farming practices. Without it, humans would still be hunter-gatherers. Thanks to agriculture, many Americans have easy access to meat, dairy, grains, and produce. All they have to do is head to the closest grocery store, farmer’s market, or family farm store, and a wide variety of tasty, nutritious foods are available every day. Depending on whom you ask, however, the convenience of easy-to-find food may come at a price. The more food consumers buy, the more food stores order. The more food stores order, the more food farmers must produce. In order to keep up with growing demand, agriculturists create methods of genetically In some plant–animal relationships, the survival of each species is dependent on the other. For example, bees help the survival of flower species by collecting pollen all over their bodies when they swoop in for some sweet nectar. When they move on to the next flower, they leave the pollen from the first flower behind, creating pollination between male and female plants. This process is necessary for the plants to thrive. In fact, humans enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria that lives in the intestines. The human host provides nourishment and a place for them to live, and in turn, bacteria help with the digestive processes. Scientists have learned that they can even have a big impact on personality. Bugs come in handy after all! SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS

13

SCIENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENT