Final answer:
The Columbian Exchange was a widespread transfer of various elements such as plants, animals, and diseases between the Americas and the Old World, which had a significant impact on global diets, population growth, and the spread of diseases. The best definition of the Columbian Exchange is the exchange of these elements between Europe and the Americas.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Columbian Exchange refers to the substantial transfer of plants, animals, cultures, human populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas, often called the New World, and the Old World, which includes Europe, Africa, and Asia. This began after Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas in 1492.
Among the many impacts of the Columbian Exchange were changes in nutrition, significant population growth, new food culture, and alterations in the prevalence of diseases. Foods like tomatoes and chilies, now staples in cuisines such as Italian and Indian, were introduced to the Old World during this exchange, dramatically transforming diets and culinary practices globally.
Notably, the Columbian Exchange also involved the unintentional and devastating spread of European diseases to indigenous populations in the Americas, leading to the deaths of a substantial portion of native peoples. Additionally, the exchange allowed for the inflow of precious metals, crops like maize and potatoes to the Old World, and the introduction of livestock to the New World, reshaping economies and societies on both sides of the Atlantic.
In response to the provided question, the best description of the Columbian Exchange is option B: an exchange of plants, animals, and diseases between Europe and the Americas.