Biologist ___________________________
Date ______________
24-4 Reading guide – Plants and Humans
Agriculture
For Questions 1–8, complete each statement by writing the correct word or words.
1. Agriculture is the systematic
________
of plants.
2. The foundation on which human society is built is modern
3. Evidence suggests that agriculture developed between
_________
.
_______ and
years ago.
4. Nearly all agricultural plants belong to the group of plants called ________.
5. The
______ produced by crop plants such as wheat, rice, and corn are the source
of most of the food humans eat.
6. Humans changed wild food plants into productive crops through the practice of
____.
7. Cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts were all developed from the wild
___________
plant.
8. The green revolution greatly increased _____________
Fiber, Wood, and Medicine
For Questions 10–13, write the letter of the correct answer on the line at the left.
10. Which is an example of a plant that is a source of food?
A. Aloe vera
C. maize
B. cotton
D. Sitka spruce
11. Cotton fibers are outgrowths of the
A. seed coat epidermis.
C. vascular cambium.
B. ripened ovary wall.
D. vascular bundles.
12. The wood used to make chairs and musical instruments is made up of which plant
tissue?
A. the cortex
C. the mesophyll
B. the cambium
D. the xylem
13. Which plant contains chemicals that can help burns and other wounds?
A. Aloe vera
C. maize
B. cotton
D. Sitka spruce
Many plants are used as medicines. They also provide the raw materials for items we use every
day.
Complete the table below. Describe how each plant is used.
Plant
Aloe vera
How Is It Used?
used in skin lotions and to treat skin wounds and burns
Cotton
Trees
Grass
Complete the table below.
Name four items made
from plants.
Describe the plants the
items are made from.
Explain how you use each item.
14. What effect is global climate change likely to have on agriculture?