What are vegetables

We often use the word vegetable to refer both to all types of plants, and specifically to the vegetables, fruits, and vegetables that we grow and commonly use for our food.

However, finding the proper definition of this word is not easy and requires talking about it in greater depth. If you want to learn more about what vegetables are and examples of these, join us in this simple and interesting article.

What are vegetables and their characteristics

To begin with, it is convenient to address the etymological origin of the word. Vegetal comes from the Latin vegetare, which means to vivify or to be alive. Traditionally, the word was used to refer to those organisms with little or no responsiveness to their environment, commonly referring to fungi, algae, and plants.

Currently, however, it is very common to use the term as a synonym for the kingdom Plantae in the informal sphere, such as the parts of plants that we use in the food industry for human consumption. The term plant kingdom has also been used since ancient times in classical Greece, but modern botany has made the term obsolete.

When we refer to them colloquially as a synonym for the kingdom Plantae, the characteristics of vegetables are as follows:

  • They are eukaryotic living beings .
  • They do not have the capacity for voluntary locomotion.
  • The vast majority of them are photosynthetic.
  • Thanks to this previous point, they are also autotrophs .
  • Plant cells have their own cellulose-based cell wall.
  • They are made up of roots , stem and leaves for the most part, as well as flowers and fruits in some cases.

Thus, we are faced with a group of multicellular beings that form the basis of the food chain in practically all media on the planet, since their ability to transform sunlight and inorganic matter into organic matter, usable by other organisms, is key in the formation of our planet as we know it.

Formerly it was believed that plants or vegetables have no senses or ability to react to changes in the environment, but it has been shown that this is not true. Plants feel and react in a myriad of ways, some of them even more complex and refined than those of animals. They are complete living beings and deserve our respect and appreciation. 

What are vegetables - What are vegetables and their characteristics

Types of vegetables

When we talk about vegetables as part of the human diet, which is one of the most common uses of the word outside the scientific field, it is common to divide them according to the part we eat. Thus, while we consider all the plants we feed on as a vegetable, we distinguish them according to whether we eat their roots or their leaves. These are some types or examples of vegetables in this context:

  • Bulbs: they are the part that is between the root and the stem, which in some species grows as a food and water reserve. Beets, onion and garlic are bulbs.
  • Roots: the organ with which the plant absorbs nutrients is of great nutritional value in many species. Some of the best known are carrot, turnip or radish, which thanks to artificial selection are today much meatier and suitable for our consumption.
  • Tubers: generated in the roots of some plants, they are reserves of substances with the highest contribution of carbohydrates among plants. They are very nutritious and come from America. The potato and the sweet potato are especially known, as well as the yam. 
  • Stems: the stem is the part of the plant that gives structure and supports the leaves, flowers and fruits, but it can also be an excellent food. Celery, asparagus, and leeks are examples of this. 
  • Leaves: this type is the most common. We find among them lettuce, spinach, chard and arugula
  • Fruits: among the fruits are some of the most appreciated and nutritious vegetables. Tomato, cucumber, apple, or avocado are just a few examples.
  • Seeds: they are also highly valued for their nutritional properties. Some of the most consumed are beans, sesame or chia.
What are vegetables - Types of vegetables

Uses of vegetables

Some of the uses of vegetables are:

  • One of the most important uses of vegetables is in the food industry , both in humans and in domestic animals. When we talk about what edible vegetables are , we refer to all those with beneficial properties for human consumption of some of their parts.
  • At a lower level, vegetables are also used as an important element of decoration and landscaping, from the ornamental plants that many of us have in our homes and gardens, to the designs of large parks and green areas that improve our quality of life.
  • Plants are also known to produce oxygen through photosynthesis , but its impact is much less than that of oxygen produced by seaweed.
What are vegetables - Uses of vegetables

What are the most important vegetables

All vegetables are important to maintain biodiversity and the balance of ecosystems, but for humans, we could say that the most important are the ones we consume the most. In that sense, the 5 most important vegetables are:

  • Rice
  • The corn
  • The wheat
  • Millet
  • The potato
What are vegetables

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