On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 477

burgeoned, they liberated vast quantities of
oxygen (O2), which radiation in the upper
atmosphereconvertedtoozone(O3),whichin
turn absorbed ultraviolet light and prevented
much of it from reaching the earth’s surface.
Landlifewasnowpossible.

The challenging life of the plant. Plants are
rooted to one spot in the earth, where they
absorb water and minerals from the soil,
carbon dioxide and oxygen from the air, and
lightenergyfromthesun,andtransformthese
inorganic materials into plant tissues — and
into nourishment for insects and other
animals. Plants defend themselves against
predatorswithavarietyofchemicalweapons,


some of which also make them flavorful,
healthful, or both. In order to spread their
offspring far and wide, some plants surround
their seeds with tasty and nourishing fruits
that animals carry away and eat, often
spillingsomeseedsintheprocess.
Soweoweourveryexistenceasoxygenbreathing,land-dwellinganimalstothe
greenerywewalkthroughandcultivateand
consumeeverydayofourlives.
Why Plants Aren’t Meaty Land-dwelling
plants that can nourish themselves still need
access to the soil for minerals and trapped
water, to the atmosphere for carbon dioxide

andoxygen,andtothesunforenergy.Allof
these sources are pretty reliable, and plants
have developed an economical structure that
takes advantage of this reliability. Roots
penetrate the soil to reach stable supplies of
water and minerals; leaves maximize their
surfaceareatocapturesunlightandexchange