Monday, February 9, 2009
Topic 2:Classification of animals and plantsI deepen my search of pandas by getting information on what
makes up 99% of their diet, the bamboo.
It is the fastest growing plant worldwide, growing as fast as 1.2m in a 24-hour period.
It can be used for cooking, medicine, construction and even torture.
CookingBamboo shoots are widely used in Asian dishes and broths.
Despite having edible shoots, the Giant Bamboo contains cyanide.
But the Golden Bamboo Lemur ingests many times the amount of the toxin
needed to kill a human.
MedicineChinese doctors use bamboo in treating infections
because of it being a low-calorie potassium source.
ConstructionBamboo can form a hard, lightweight, yet durable contruction material when treated.
Thus it is also used as a substitute for steel reinforcing rods for concrete construction.
Many companies are also popularizing bamboo floorings nowadays.
TortureAlthough it is a weird use, it has happened.
During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese troops abused the bamboo's fast-growing rate
to torture US soldiers by popping off their fingernails with bamboos.
