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The word "tomato" may refer to the plant (Solanum lycopersicum) or theedible, typically red, fruit that it bears. Originating in South America, thetomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonizationof the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often ingreenhouses in cooler climates.

The tomato fruit is consumed in diverse ways, including raw, as aningredient in many dishes and sauces, and in drinks. While it isbotanically a fruit, it is considered a vegetable for culinary purposes (aswell as by the United States Supreme Court, see Nix v. Hedden), whichhas caused some confusion. The fruit is rich in lycopene, which may havebeneficial health effects.

The tomato belongs to the nightshade family. The plants typically grow to13 meters (310 ft) in height and have a weak stem that often sprawlsover the ground and vines over other plants. It is a perennial in its nativehabitat, although often grown outdoors in temperate climates as anannual.

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There are around 7500 tomato varieties grown for various purposes. Heirloomtomatoes are becoming increasingly popular, particularly among home gardenersand organic producers, since they tend to produce more interesting and flavorfulcrops at the cost of disease resistance and productivity.[13]

Roma or Bangalore Tomatoes (Indian hybrid)

Hybrid plants remain common, since they tend to be heavier producers, andsometimes combine unusual characteristics of heirloom tomatoes with theruggedness of conventional commercial tomatoes.

Various heirloom tomato cultivars

Tomato varieties are roughly divided into several categories, based mostly onshape and size.

"Slicing" or "globe" tomatoes are the usual tomatoes of commerce, used for a widevariety of processing and fresh eating.

Beefsteak tomatoes are large tomatoes often used for sandwiches and similar

applications. Their kidney-bean shape, thinner skin, and shorter shelf life makescommercial use impractical.

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Nutrition

Tomatoes are now eaten freelythroughout the world, and their

consumption is believed to benefit theheart, among other organs. They containthe carotene lycopene, one of the mostpowerful natural antioxidants. In somestudies, lycopene, especially in cookedtomatoes, has been found to help preventprostate cancer,[22] but other researchcontradicts this claim.[23] Lycopene hasalso been shown to improve the skin's

ability to protect against harmful UVrays.[24] A study done by researchers atManchester and Newcastle universitiesrevealed that tomato can protect againstsunburn and help keeping the skinlooking youthful.[25] Natural geneticvariation in tomatoes and their wildrelatives has given a genetic plethora ofgenes that produce lycopene, carotene,

anthocyanin, and other antioxidants.Tomato varieties are available withdouble the normal vitamin C(Doublerich), 40 times normal vitamin A(97L97), high levels of anthocyanin(resulting in blue tomatoes), and two tofour times the normal amount of lycopene(numerous available cultivars with thehigh crimson gene).

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