Parts of an Ear of Corn

Silk

• The stringy, soft tuft on the point of the ear that sits upward on the stalk is known as the silk of the corn. The corn silk can be used as a medicinal herb, and is often used as a diuretic. Medicinal uses sprung from use of the corn plant in the first millenium A.D. The silk can also be used to treat open sores and boils, and was known to treat various inflictions on the genitalia either from childbirth or sexually transmitted disease.

Husk

• The husk is the overall aggregate combination of leaves surrounding the corn. The husk is a protective element of the corn, a developed shield to help keep the seed -- the actual cob full of kernels -- alive and well so reproduction may occur. The husks may be roasted off in a process known as "husking" or "shucking." The husks naturally fall off to facilitate the spread of seeds once the seeds grow to a viable stage.

Kernels

• The kernels are the seeds of the corn plant. Each individual corn kernel is created by the silks catching pollen from the tassel of the plant, located on the stalk. From there the kernels grow and then are released to be eaten by animals and spread over whatever area possible to facilitate the spread of the corn plant. The kernels take several months to mature, eventually being released when the plant matures and dies, and ears fall off the plant.

Leaves

• Individual leaves make up the husk. The leaves facilitate a large amount of photosynthesis for the plant, creating nutrients and energy for the plant from sunlight reaching the plant. Corn plants grow a variable number of leaves, depending on their height, which in turn depends on availability of sunlight and nutrients in the ecosystem. A corn plant will grow more and more leaves over the course of its lifespan, creating more and more ears of corn in the end.