This document provides an overview of cereals. It states that cereals are the most important crops worldwide, dominating agricultural production and providing sustenance. The main cereal grains are wheat, rice, maize, barley, sorghum, rye, oats, and millets, which account for over 80% of cereal production. Cereals are members of the grass family and are a staple food worldwide, particularly in developing countries, as they are a relatively cheap source of calories and protein.

1. I. INTRODUCTION
 Cereals are the most important crops in the world.
 They dominate world agricultural production since they directly or
indirectly provide a large proportion of the human sustenance.
 About half of the plowed land in the world is used for growing the
principal cereals.
 Cereal grains commonly contain 60–70% starch and 7–14%
protein.
 They are the most important source of carbohydrates for humans
and domestic animals, and also provide a substantial proportion of
protein.
 Cereals are the staple foods for many people everywhere on the
globe, particularly in the developing countries, because they are a
relatively cheap source of calories and protein compared to meat.

2.  Grain is a collective term applied to cereals.
 The main cereal grains include wheat, rice, maize, barley,
sorghum, teff, rye, oats, and millets.
 The majority of the world population subsists mostly on wheat,
rice, and maize.
 These three cereals account for more than 80% of total cereal
grain yield in the world.
 Other cereals belong to minor cereal crops called coarse grains.
 Most cereals can be used as staple grains for humans, but maize,
barley, oats, and grain sorghum can also be used as feed grains
for livestock, particularly in developed countries.

3.  Cereals are members of the grass family Gramineae, being
monocotyledonous angiosperms.
 They show great genetic diversity and are ubiquitous,
ranging in adaptation from the semi-arid and humid tropics
to both wet and dry temperate zones, and even to very cold
climates (e.g., rye and oats).
 Typical characteristics include fibrous root systems, an
upright stalk with nodes and internodal spacing and a pithy
stalk, and narrow long blade leaves with parallel veins.

4.  Cereal grains are single-seed fruits called caryopses.
 The seed consists of seed coat, embryo (germ) and endosperm.
Cereal grains contain starch, protein, lipid, fiber, vitamins, and
minerals.

5. Scientific and Common Names of Major Cereals in
the Grass Family (Gramineae)
Common Name Scientific Name (genus and species name)
Common wheat Triticum aestivum
Durum wheat Triticum durum
Rice Oryza sativa
Maize (corn) Zea mays
Barley Hordeum vulgare
Grain sorghum Sorghum vulgare
Common oats Avena sativa
Rye Secale cereale
Pearl millet Pennisetum glaucum