Trivia In Science

“Trivia in Science” Submiited by: Almira C. Pilapil II-SSC

Submitted to: Mrs. Marivic Bruce

Subject teacher Trivia about plants and biology 84% of a raw apple is water. 99% of the pumpkins sold in the US end up lanterns.

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A cucumber is 96% water. A notch in a tree will remain the same distance from the ground as the tree grows. A pineapple is a berry. Absinthe is another name for the herb wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and the name of a licorice-anise flavored green liqueur that was created at the end of the 18th century, and manufactured by Henry-Louis Pernod. Called the 'green Muse' it became very popular in the 19th century, but was eventually banned in most countries beginning in 1908. The reason is the presence of the toxic oil 'thujone' in wormwood, which was one of the main ingredients of Absinthe. Absinthe seemed to cause brain lesions, convulsions, hallucinations and severe mental problems. Thujone was the culprit, along with the fact that Absinthe was manufactured with an alcohol content of 68% or 132 proof. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the singleseeded fruit of the giant fan palm, or Lodoicea maldivica, can weigh 44 lbs. Commonly known as the double coconut or coco de mer, it is found wild only in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Advertisements for coffee in London in 1657 claimed that the beverage was a cure for scurvy, gout and other ills. Almonds are the oldest, most widely cultivated and extensively used nuts in the world. Americans eat more bananas than any other fruit: a total of

11 billion a year. An average ear of corn has 800 kernels, arranged in 16 rows. Arrowroot, an antidote for poisoned arrows, is used as a thickener in cooking. Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams. Banana oil never saw a banana; it's made from petroleum. Bananas are actually herbs. Bananas die after fruiting, like all herbs do. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew cannabis sativa (marijuana) on their plantations. Cranberries are one of just 3 major fruits native to North America. Blueberries and Concord grapes are the other two. Dr. Joel Poinsett, the 1st US ambassador to Mexico, brought the poinsettia to US in 1828. The plant, called "flower of the blessed night" in Mexico was renamed in Poinsett's honor. Eggplant is a member of the thistle family. From 70 to 80 percent of all ripe olives are grown in California's approximately 35,000 acres. In the 1700s, Franciscan monks brought olives to Mexico and then into California by way of the missions. The first cuttings were planted in 1769 at the San Diego Mission. Commercial cultivation of California olives began in the late 1800s. Today, anywhere from 80,000 to 160,000 tons of olives are produced in California each year. From the 1500's to the 1700's, tobacco was prescribed by doctors to treat a variety of ailments including headaches, toothaches, arthritis and bad breath. Ginger has been clinically demonstrated to work twice as well as Dramamine for fighting motion sickness, with no side effects.