Corn, or maize, is a tall annual grass in the grass family that is grown for its starchy seeds, also known as kernels. Corn is a major food in many parts of the world and is used for many purposes, including:
- Food: Corn can be eaten fresh or processed and is an ingredient in more than 4,000 everyday grocery items. Corn kernels can be used as a vegetable or a source of starch in cooking. They can be blackish, bluish-gray, purple, green, red, white, or yellow in color.
- Livestock feed: Corn is an important livestock feed.
- Industry: Corn is used as a raw material in industry. For example, inedible parts of the plant like the stalks can be used for paper and wallboard, and the husks can be used for filling material. Corn can also be processed into a wide range of useful chemicals and used as a source of biofuel. For example, in 2012-2013, the USDA estimated that 4.5 billion bushels of corn in the US could produce 14 billion gallons of ethanol.
Corn is native to southern Mexico and was originally domesticated by native peoples around 9,000 years ago. Through generations of selective breeding, they transformed a wild teosinte grass with small grains into the modern Zea mays, which is a rich source of food. Corn grows on every continent except Antarctica, and in an average year, Iowa produces more corn than most countries.
Corn is a healthy grain that’s high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s also a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which may promote eye health.
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