Plant Biology

Plants are carbohydrate machines. Unlike animals, which build their tissues from protein and fat for movement, plants build from carbohydrates — cellulose for structure, starch for storage, sugars for energy. This fundamental difference explains why plant foods taste, cook, and behave so differently from meat: carbohydrates tolerate heat robustly, dispersing into tissue moisture at boiling temperature to create soft, succulent textures. There is no equivalent of the overcooked-tough steak — vegetables can only go too soft, never too tough.