What makes popping corn pop?
Corn is a generic term to describe the fruit (grain) of cereal plants
in particular. In Britain corn generally refers to wheat. However, in
the US, the word corn refers to maize. Popping corn is just one of the
many varieties of maize grown commercially.
The bulk of tissue within a grain of corn is called the endosperm.
Endosperm is specialized storage tissue providing nutrients for the
embryo when the seed germinates. It is also a source of carbohydrates
for humans. In popcorn, the outer part of the endosperm is hard but
the center is soft. When the corn is heated, the water in the central
part turns to steam causing the seed to burst (the pop that you hear)
and turn inside out.
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