Endosperm

Endosperm is the tissue produced inside the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed" title="Seed" >seeds</a> of most <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant" title="Flowering plant" >flowering plants</a> around the time of fertilization.

It surrounds the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryo" title="Embryo" >embryo</a> and provides nutrition in the form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starch" title="Starch" >starch</a>, though it can also contain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_oil" title="Vegetable oil" class="mw-redirect" >oils</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein" title="Protein" >protein</a>.

This makes endosperm an important source of nutrition in human diet.

For example, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat" title="Wheat" >wheat</a> endosperm is ground into flour for<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread" title="Bread" >bread</a> (the rest of the grain is included as well in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whole_wheat_flour" title="Whole wheat flour" class="mw-redirect" >whole wheat flour</a>), while <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barley" title="Barley" >barley</a> endosperm is the main source for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer" title="Beer" >beer</a> production.

Other examples of endosperm that forms the bulk of the edible portion are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut" title="Coconut" >coconut</a> "meat" and coconut "water",<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endosperm#cite_note-0" >[1]</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maize" title="Maize" >corn</a>, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn" title="Popcorn" >popcorn</a>. Some plants, like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchid" title="Orchid" class="mw-redirect" >orchid</a>, lack endosperm in their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed" title="Seed" >seeds</a>.