hot buttered corn on the cob

On Saturday my mom and I were shucking the corn she had picked up at one of our local Farmer's Markets. I asked, "Mommy, why does corn have hair?" And she replied, "I don't know, Jennifer. That's a good question. Why don't you go ask the internet?" My mother grew up on a farm and I am always highly disappointed when she doesn't automatically know the answer to anything farm-like. So, check the internet I did and this is what I found on Yahoo Answers. I'm not saying it's the correct answer but it sounds about right to me.

Each "hair" (actually it's called silk) leads to a single kernel. This is how the corn is pollinated. The silk is part of the female flower on the plant. The tassel at the top of the stalk is the male flower. The pollen is produced by the male flower and drops onto the silks of the female flower. The pollen travels down the silk and into the ovary, which becomes a kernel of corn.

Thank You Lord for the tasty sweet summer treat of corn on the cob.