Aloe Vera Scientific Name: Aloe Vera

1. Aloe VeraScientific Name: Aloe Vera The SuperPower Plant

2. What is biodiversity? • The variety of life on Earth is referred to as biodiversity. • The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms are all part of a biologically diverse Earth.

3. Why is biodiversity important? • Biodiversity gets the ecosystem productivity to go up where each species has an important role in the world. • It is important to have different plant species because that means a larger crop variation.

4. Characteristics • Aloe Vera has many characteristics • Average pH value of 4.55 • The three main categories of research are the anti-inflammatory, anti- bacterial, and anti-viral actions of Aloe Vera. • Aloe Vera is about 95% water. • Aloe Vera plants are one of the hundreds of species in the Lily Family.

5. Benefits • Aloe Vera contains 19 of the 20 amino acids required by the human body for good health. • It contains three anti-inflammatory fatty acids that are helpful for the stomach, small intestine and colon. • The healing power is due to increasing the availability of oxygen to the skin, and by increasing the strength of skin tissue. • The juice is said to soothe digestive tract irritations such as colitis, ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome.

6. More Benefits • Aloe Vera has contained therapeutic advantages and healing properties for over 400 years. • Aloe has been used for minor wounds and burns for centuries. • Aloe Vera has been especially helpful of patients with severe skin diseases. • The leaves also contain more than 100 nutrients rich in vitamins.

7. How to keep Aloe Vera alive • Aloe Vera cannot tolerate heavy frosts and snow. • Aloe Vera should be grown in moderately fresh, sandy, well-drained potting soil. • Avoid over irrigation, it can increase the risk of diseases and pests. • Keep in indirect sunlight and extreme heat. • Remove new shoots after they grow about 4 inches.

8. Conservation of Aloe Vera • The lack production of Aloe Vera in Australia, US and Europe is because of lack of cultivation and processing know-how.

9. Fun Facts! • Aloe Vera is also used to ease heartburn, diverticular disorders, and other types of digestive upset. • There are about 15 poisonous ones which contain a deadly hemlock-like substance. Oh no! • Reference is now universally made to Aloe Barbadensis Miller. This is the true Aloe Vera. It is the most potent – nutritionally and medicinally – and is the type of Aloe used in most commercial products with Aloe content available today • Fifteen different compound groups of nutrients work together to make the plant effective. • This means that Aloe Vera’s effects cannot be synthesized easily in a laboratory

10. Sharing our work As a group, we informed people on the Aloe Vera plant in many ways. We discovered and shared all of the information between each other, as a group. We also shared our information with our friends and family. Each one of us showed them our work and the interesting facts on the Aloe Vera plant. Our work is also shared on our teacher’s webpage. Our project is open to the internet for all to see.

11. Works Cited • Aloe Vera. 2001-2011. 23 January 2011 <http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=B628> • Aloe Vera . 18 January 2011. 23 January 2011 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_vera>. • Shah, Anup. Why is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares? 18 November 2009. 23 January 2011 <http://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-important-who-cares>. • AloeVeraBenefits. Aloe Vera Benefits. 2011. January 2011 <http://aloeverabenefits.com/>. • Barb. Aloe Vera Plants. 2011. January 2011 <http://www.wondrousbenefitsofaloevera.com/index.php>. • Calvin, James. Disabled WORLD. 17 March 2008. January 2011 <http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/aloe-vera.shtml>. • Herb Wisdom. 2011. January 2011 <http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-aloe-vera.html>.  • Radel, Daivd R. Herbal Information Center. 2011. January 2011 <http://www.kcweb.com/herb/aloevera.htm>.