Question

Why do plants of the legume family contain more protein than other plants?

Answer 1

Legume plants:

1. Leguminous plants belong to the Fabaceae family and produce legumes which are dry grains widely consumed by humans.
2. Legumes include lentils, peas, chickpeas, soybeans, and peanuts.
3. They have a high nutritional value and contain proteins, carbohydrates, and dietary fibers.
4. They are low in fat and have been found to possess bioactive compounds.
5. Leguminous plants have a high protein content as they are nitrogen-fixing plants and harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their root nodules.
6. These bacterias aid in the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia which is then utilized to generate ammonium ions and amino acids.
7. Since proteins are amino-acid chains, the amino acids generated by these plants are converted into proteins and thus, they contain high protein content.