A pulse (from Latin: puls, from Ancient Greek πόλτος: poltos "porridge"), sometimes called a "grain legume", is an annual leguminous crop yielding from one to twelve seeds of variable size, shape, and color within a pod. Pulses are used as food for humans and other animals. Included in the pulses are: dry beans like pinto beans, kidney beans and navy beans; dry peas; lentils; and others.Like many leguminous crops, pulses play a key role in crop rotation due to their ability to fix nitrogen.