Soybeans are an important agricultural crop because of the oil and protein contained in the seed. The oil is used mainly for human consumption in products as cooking oil, margarine, and salad dressings. After the oil is extracted from the seed the material that is left is the soybean meal. The soybean meal is an excellent protein source for animal husbandry and is an important component in the feeding ration in the poultry and hog industries. In many countries, the soybean is an important component of the human diet.
Soybeans are a leguminous plant.
What this means is that through a companionship of the plant roots and beneficial bacteria they fix atmospheric nitrogen to supply some of the plants nitrogen needs. Other common plants that are also legumes are the bean, pea, and peanut. All of these plants can fix atmospheric nitrogen to supply some of their nitrogen needs. Nitrogen is used by plants and animals to form different nitrogen containing compounds found in all living organisms. One group of these compounds are called amino acids that are used by biological organisms to make proteins.