Why Do Different Foods Contain the Nutrients That They Do?

Or: what is the function in the organism?

		MEAT		TUBERS	GRAINS	BEANS	LEAVES	FRUITS	STEMS
Carbohydrate		none		lots	lots	lots	little	some	little
Protein		lots		little	some	some	little	little	little
Fat		lots		little	little	little	little	little	little
This is exactly the kind of protein we have in our own bodies (muscle).									Examples: Celery Rhubarb
	Over-winter storage organs need lots of starch to fuel growth in spring. Little protein because plant can make its own from glucose + NH4 (from soil).
			Seeds need lots of starch to fuel growth of seedling until it can develop leaves to feed itself. Protein is also needed, because seedling can’t get NH4 from soil until its roots are functional.
					Leaves make glucose, but ship it elsewhere, so relatively little is left.
						Fruits are a trade-off for plants. They have as little stored energy as possible, and therefore have little protein and relatively little starch. The starch they have is often converted to sweet fructose during ripening.
							Stems are transport tubes that move glucose from leaves where it is made to other organs where it is either stored for future use (seeds, tubers) or where it is used immediately for growth. Some is assembled into cell walls, but most is metabolized via glycolysis and mitochondria to build ATP.