Avocado

=** Plant Name : Avocado** (Persea americana)=



__ **Domestication** __:

 * The seed has been documented in Oaxaca around 1200 BC [[image:avocadosx.jpg align="right" caption="Avocado Fruit and Seed"]]
 * Archeologist evidence proves that avocado was first domesticated around 5000 BC in Coxcatlan region of Puebla, central Mexico.
 * 8000-7000 B.C the human population were collecting wild avocados and consuming them after minimal processing
 * This fruit was most likely an early and important trade item.
 * Many Mesopotamia people such as Olmec, Mokaya and Maya had domesticated Avocado trees.
 * An alternative hypothesis states that Ethnobotanical remains from the site of Caral on the Peruvian coast support the idea that avocado was domesticated there as early as 1200 B.C.
 * Avocado only grows in warm regions around the world or in greenhouses.
 * Avocado is consumed similar today as it was thousands of years ago.

**__ Biology __:**

 * The Avocado tree is an evergreen tree that attains heights of 40 to 80 feet and has many branches.
 * The avocado fruit may be round or pear shaped, and the skin of the fruit may vary in texture and color. The skin may be pliable to woody, smooth to rough, and green-yellow, reddish-purple, purple, or black in color.
 * Pollination is usually done by honeybees and other insects.[[image:Aartappel_+_Avo_3-12-2008_026.jpg width="222" height="165" align="right" caption="Avocado Tree"]]
 * Humans consumer the fruit around the seed commonly in salads or dips.

__ **Human/Plant relationship** __:

 * Avocados have 1.6 times as much potassium as banana.
 * Avocados contains no cholesterol and have about 0.6 oz of fat.
 * The oil from avocado is commonly taken for cooking and skin care use.
 * Avocado extract has been proven to help prevent and treat breast and prostate cancer.
 * Continued research on Avocado turns up new useful resources for humans.

__** Refection :**__
Ive learned that Avocado has tons of nutritional benefits that are required for human functions. Also I learned that Avocado has been around for thousands of years and people have been reaping the benefits of it and growing and cultivating Avocado plants. Since its been such a success for humans we continue to grow it and help it survive and spread world wide so we have a mutual relationship. Humans need Avocado and Avocado needs humans. Just like the past Avocado is still an important trade item for many third world countries. I believe that humans still have control over nature because we can live without Avocado but they can't without us. Why do humans continue to depend on Avocado for important nutrients since it has to imported for many countries? Where would Avocado be if it wasn't for humans interaction and global production of it? Why do you believe this is the case?

http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/crop/crops/i_avocad.htm http://archaeology.about.com/od/aterms/a/Avocado.htm