Corn: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As	maize • Zea mays • Indian corn

Photos and Videos

Close-up of two ears of corn (Zea mays) on the stalk, with green husks and long, pale silk strands at the top.

Rows of tall green corn plants with yellow tassels stretch into the distance in a Nebraska agricultural field.

Dense rows of tall green corn plants in a genetically modified corn field, with tassels visible at the top against a pale sky.

Two ears of corn with husks and a wooden bowl filled with yellow corn grits on a wooden table.

Several thick, round arepas con queso with golden, crispy tops are cooking on a metal griddle. The corn cakes appear soft and slightly browned from the heat.

Three popcorn balls topped with red, yellow, and green candies against a white background.

The truth about high-fructose corn syrup and sugar

Understanding the impact of bioethanol on food prices

See how smut fungus destroys corn smut

Observe the underground germination of sweet corn

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Topics

sweet corn Floury-2 dent corn flint corn flour corn Balsas teosinte Opaque-2 Reid’s Yellow Dent masa corn on the cob Bean Rice quinoa Fonio Tomato Wheat Pumpkin Barley Zucchini Millet

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Key People

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Edward Murray East

American scientist

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Kim Soon-Kwon

South Korean agricultural scientist

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Donald Forsha Jones

American agronomist

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John Lorain

American agriculturalist

McClintock, Barbara

Barbara McClintock

American scientist

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Elvin Charles Stakman

American plant pathologist

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George Harrison Shull

American botanist

Venus's-flytrap. Venus's-flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) one of the best known of the meat-eating plants. Carnivorous plant, Venus flytrap, Venus fly trap

Plants: From Cute to Carnivorous

Grains and spices in bags, India. (Indian, vendor, market, food)

Ultimate Foodie Quiz

Red and yellow cherry tomatoes, some forming a question mark, against a light blue background. (organic, fruits, vegetables)

Fruit or Vegetable? A Quiz

Ceviche. Peruvian ceviche (sebiche). Raw seafood dish with lime, cilantro, peppers, plantains. Cuisine, food

A World of Food Quiz

Chef tossing vegetables in a frying pan over a burner (skillet, food).

What’s on the Menu? Vocabulary Quiz

Slices of lemon pie topped with meringue.

Baking and Baked Goods Quiz