Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Electricity • Energy

Bean

Beans are seeds that people often eat.

They are an excellent source of protein.

Beans are used in many dishes, including

soups and chili.

Many different plants produce beans,

but they are all members of the same

scientific family. The family includes

peas, peanuts, and lentils as well as

beans. These plants grow in most parts

of the world. Most types grow either as a

bush or as a climbing plant.

In some flashlights, two or more batteries

produce an electric current. The current

flows out of the batteries, through a wire,

and through a lightbulb.

40 Bean BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Beans come in many colors—white,

green, yellow, tan, pink, red, brown,

purple, and black. They also have different

shapes. Some are nearly round or

oval. Others are flat or kidney-shaped.

Beans grow inside cases called pods or

legumes. Pods are usually 3 to 8 inches

(7.6 to 20 centimeters) long. They come

in shades of green, yellow, red, and

purple. Many pods are too tough to eat.

This is why beans are usually taken out

of the pod. Some pods can be eaten if

they are picked at an early stage in their

growth. These include green beans (also

known as snap or string beans).

Dry beans are grown only for their dry

seeds, not the pods. They include pinto,

lima, navy, black, kidney, fava, and

mung beans.

One of the most useful beans is the soybean.

Many chemical products, including

paint, are made from soybean oil.

Soybeans are fed to farm animals. They

are also a rich source of protein for

people around the world. They are used

to make soy milk, soy sauce, and tofu.

#More to explore

Legume • Seed

Bear

Bears are large, powerful mammals

related to dogs and raccoons. The biggest

bears are the world’s largest animals

that live on land and eat meat.

There are several species, or types, of

bear. They are the polar bear, the brown

bear, the black bear, the Asiatic black

bear, the sun bear, the spectacled bear,

and the sloth bear. The brown bear is

commonly called the grizzly bear in

North America. Most scientists also consider

the giant panda to be a member of

the bear family.

Where Bears Live

Bears are found in the Americas,

Europe, and Asia. They are often found

in mountainous areas and forests. The

black bear lives in North America. The

Beans come in many different shapes, sizes,

and colors.

Many beans are taken out of the pod

before they are eaten.

The polar bear

has fur on the

bottom of its

feet. This fur

helps the bear

to keep from

slipping on

ice.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Bear 41

 

brown bear is found in North America,

Europe, and Asia. The Asiatic black bear

and the sloth bear live in parts of Asia.

The world’s far northern regions called

the Arctic are home to the polar bear.

Physical Features

Bears range in height from about 3 to

10 feet (1 to 3 meters). The sun bear is

the smallest species. A kind of Alaskan

brown bear called the Kodiak bear is the

largest bear. It may weigh 1,720 pounds

(780 kilograms). Some polar bears are

almost that big.

Most bears are mainly brown, redbrown,

or black. Some have white markings

on the chest or face. The type called

the black bear is sometimes actually

brown, blue-gray, or even white. The

polar bear’s white fur helps it blend in

with the Arctic ice and snow.

A bear has a broad head, a heavy body,

short legs, and a small tail. Bears have

poor eyesight but an excellent sense of

smell. Most kinds are good at climbing

trees and at swimming.

Behavior

Bears are carnivores, or meat eaters. For

example, the polar bear eats seals, walruses,

and fish. However, other bears eat

a lot of plants as well as animals. They

may eat roots, seeds, berries, and nuts in

addition to insects, fish, and deer.

In the autumn most bears eat a lot to

put on extra fat. They then sleep

through most of the winter. This is similar

to a very deep resting state called

hibernation. But bears are not true

hibernators. Their body temperature,

heartbeat rate, and breathing rate do not

drop much lower than normal.

#More to explore

Hibernation • Mammal • Panda

Beatles, The

The Beatles were one of the most successful

and influential pop-music groups

of the 1960s. This quartet of British

musicians were rhythm guitarist John

Lennon (October 9, 1940–December 8,

1980); bass guitarist Paul McCartney

(born June 18, 1942); lead guitarist

George Harrison (February 25, 1943–

Brown bears fish for salmon in Alaska. November 29, 2001); and drummer

A polar bear travels over snow and ice in

the Arctic region of Canada.

42 Beatles, The BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Ringo Starr (originally Richard Starkey;

born July 7, 1940).

Beginnings

Lennon formed a band in Liverpool,

England, while in high school in the

mid-1950s. McCartney and then Harrison

joined the group in the late 1950s.

In its early years the band also had several

other members. In 1962 they signed

a recording contract with a large music

company. At about this time they chose

Starr to replace drummer Pete Best.

At first the Beatles’ songs were upbeat

and fairly simple. The first song

recorded by the Beatles was “Love Me

Do” in 1962. Their first hit came the

following year, when “Please Please Me”