SYSTEMATICS LEC GROUP 4

Palynology

This is a subdiscipline of biology that studies microscopic organic structures, such as plant pollen, spores, and microscopic organisms, in both living and fossil form

Hyde and Williams

Who coined the term Palynology

Science of palynomorphs

a general term for all entities found in palynological preparations

Pollen Grain

This is a dominating object of the palynomorph spectrum

Palynologist

Is a scientist who studies the identification, origin, classification, and distribution of pollens and spores.

Before 19th century

What century was the early period of Palynology

19th century

What century was the middle period of Palynology

End of 19th century

What century was the late period of Palynology

Ancient Knowledge

Assyrians practiced hand pollination of date palms but unclear if they understood pollen's nature.

Microscopy

The invention of microscopes, especially Hooke’s compound microscope, enabled observation of pollen morphology.

Pioneering Studies

Malpighi and Grew, Camerarius, Carl Linnaeus, Gleditsch, Kölreuter and Sprengel

Malpighi and Grew

These people described pollen grains with structural details; considered founders of pollen morphology.

Camerarius

This Scientist Identified the necessity of “seed dust” (pollen) for seed development

Carl Linnaeus

This Scientist Introduced the term "pollen" in 1750.

Gleditsch

This Scientist demonstrated pollen's role in double fertilization through palm pollination experiments.

Kölreuter and Sprengel

These scientists recognized insect pollination’s importance and first classified pollen by morphology.

Early Period

Identify if Early Period, Middle Period, Late Period:

Ancient Knowledge: Assyrians practiced hand pollination of date palms but unclear if they understood pollen's nature.

Early Period

Identify if Early Period, Middle Period, Late Period:

Microscopy: The invention of microscopes, especially Hooke’s compound microscope, enabled observation of pollen morphology.

Early Period

Identify if Early Period, Middle Period, Late Period:

Pioneering Studies:

Malpighi and Grew: Described pollen grains with structural details; considered founders of pollen morphology.
Camerarius: Identified the necessity of “seed dust” (pollen) for seed development
Carl Linnaeus: Introduced the term "pollen" in 1750.
Gleditsch: Demonstrated pollen's role in double fertilization through palm pollination experiments.
Kölreuter and Sprengel: Recognized insect pollination’s importance and first classified pollen by morphology.

Terminology and Classification

• Jan Evangelista Purkinje: Proposed an early classification for pollen morphology.

• Carl Julius Fritsche: Introduced terms like "exine," "intine," and identified pollen apertures.

Morphological Studies

• Von Mohl and Fritzsche: Explored pollen structure, including the pollen wall layers.

• Cavolini: Illustrated pollen of seagrasses.

Pioneering Discoveries

• Brown and Bauer: Described the pollen tube’s role in fertilization and double wall in certain pollen types.

• Wilhelm Hofmeister and Eduard Strasburge : Detailed pollen development, fertilization, and cellular structures in angiosperms.

• Schacht Hermann: Used staining to reveal pollen wall patterns and reserves, a step toward anatomical studies

• described differences in exine patterning, exine thickness, and apertures covered by an operculum.

• John Lindley: Created an orchid classification based on pollen features.

• Fritz Zetzsche: Coined the term "sporopollenin" for the durable substance in pollen walls.

Middle Period

Identify if Early Period, Middle Period, Late Period:

Terminology and Classification:

• Jan Evangelista Purkinje: Proposed an early classification for pollen morphology.

• Carl Julius Fritsche: Introduced terms like "exine," "intine," and identified pollen apertures.

Middle Period

Identify if Early Period, Middle Period, Late Period:

Morphological Studies:

• Von Mohl and Fritzsche: Explored pollen structure, including the pollen wall layers.

• Cavolini: Illustrated pollen of seagrasses.

Middle Period

Identify if Early Period, Middle Period, Late Period:

Pioneering Discoveries:

• Brown and Bauer: Described the pollen tube’s role in fertilization and double wall in certain pollen types.

• Wilhelm Hofmeister and Eduard Strasburge : Detailed pollen development, fertilization, and cellular structures in angiosperms.

• Schacht Hermann: Used staining to reveal pollen wall patterns and reserves, a step toward anatomical studies

• described differences in exine patterning, exine thickness, and apertures covered by an operculum.

• John Lindley: Created an orchid classification based on pollen features.

• Fritz Zetzsche: Coined the term "sporopollenin" for the durable substance in pollen walls.

Jan Evangelista Purkinje

Thise scientists of the Middle period proposed an early classification for pollen morphology

Carl Julius Fritsche

This scientist of the Middle period introduced terms like “exine”, “intine”, and identified pollen apertures

Von Mohl and Fritzsche

These Scientists in the Middle period explored pollen structure, including pollen wall layers

Cavolini

This scientist of the Middle period illustrated pollen of seagrasses

Brown and Bauer

These scientists of the Middle period described the pollen tube’s role in fertilization and double wall in certain pollen types

Wilhelm Hofmeister and Eduard Strasburge

These scientists of the Middle Period Detailed pollen development, fertilization

Schacht Hermann

This Scientist in the Middle period used staining to reveal pollen wall patterns and reserves, a step toward anatomical studies. and described differences in exine patterning, exine thickness, and apertures covered by an operculum

John Lindley

This scientist in the Middle period created an orchid classification based on pollen features

Fritz Zetzsche

This scientist of the Middle period coined the term “sporopollenin” for the durable substance in pollen walls

Sporopollenin

This is the durable substance in pollen walls

Paleopalynology

• Paul Wilhelm Reinsch: Photographed fossil pollen and developed extraction methods.

• Lennart Von Post: Created the first pollen diagram.

Electron Microscopy

• ransmission Electron Microscope (TEM): Allowed study of internal pollen structure.

• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM): Revolutionized observation of pollen surface detail, with Thornhill, Erdtman, and Dunbar publishing early micrographs.

• Light Microscopy (LM): Enhanced with super-resolution techniques, LM remained crucial for basic morphology studies.

Aeropalynology, Biostratigraphy, Forensic Palynology

These fields emerged during the 20th century advances which illustrates the broad application of palynology

Paul Wilhelm Reinsch

This scientist of the Late period photographed fossil pollen and developed extraction methods

Lennart Von Post

This scientist of the Late period created the first pollen diagram

Transmission Electron Microscope

This allowed the study of internal pollen structure

Scanning Electron Microscope

This revolutionized observation of pollen surface detail, with Thornhill, Erdtman, and Dunbar publishing early micrographs

Light Microscopy

Enhanced with super-resolution techniques, this remained crucial for basic morphology studies

Key figures in Palynology

These people are considered as what in Palynology?

Harold Hyde and David Williams of Cardiff
Otto Gunnar Elias Erdtman
Friedrich Hermann Hugo Pfeffer
Von Linné
Nehemiah Grew
Marcello Malpighi
Paul Wilhelm Reinsch
Carl Julius Fritzsche

Harold Hyde and David Williams of Cardiff

In 1944, they introduced the term palynology in the pages of the Pollen Analysis Circular, one of the first journals of pollen analysis.

Otto Gunnar Elias Erdtman

• A Swedish botanist born in 1886 who is considered the “ father of palynology”

• Made pioneering contributions to palynology through his research and publications from the 1920s onwards

Friedrich Hermann Hugo Pfeffer

• German botanist who made substantial contributions to the study of pollen grains and spores

• His pioneering work laid the foundation for the field of palynology, which involves the study of these microscopic plant structures.

Von Linne

• Also known before his ennoblement as “Carl Nilsson Linnæus”

• First used the term pollen in 1750.

Nehemiah Grew

• he English botanist who made the earliest observation of pollen

• After describing pollen and the stamen, he concluded that pollen is required for the reproduction of flowering plants

• Famous work “The Anatomy of Plants”

Marcello Malpighi

• “Anatomia Plantarum”

• First to describe pollen grains as having germination furrows

Paul Wilhelm Reinsch

• Published the first photomicrographs of fossil pollen and spores from Russian coals.

• Described methods for the extraction of palynomorphs from coal samples with concentrated potassium hydroxide (KOH) and hydrofluoric acid (HF).

Carl Julius Fritzsche

• Terms “exine,” “intine,” and “Zwischenkörper”

• Published in his book “Über den Pollen”

• Demonstrated that apertures are predetermined in most angiosperm pollen while others are inaperturate.

Entomopalynology, Melissopalynology, Paleopalynology, Forensic palynology

4 main branches of Palynology

Entomopalynology

This branch of Palynology deals with the relationship between pollen and insects.

Melissopalynology

This branch of Palynology studies pollen and spores in honey. By analyzing the types and quantities of pollen grains present in a honey sample, scientists can determine the floral sources that bees visited to collect nectar.

Paleopalynology

This branch of Palynology studies fossil pollens and spores in order to understand the past formational and depositional environments. It is also used for geological age determination and stratigraphical rock correlation by using biostratigraphy.

Copropalynology

a sub-branch of paleopalynology, deals with pollen and spores found in the fossilized biological excretions (coprolites) of animals, which give clues about the diets of organisms such as prehistoric humans and extinct animals.

Forensic Palynology

This branch of Palynology studies the presence of dust-size particles found in associated criminal cases. Because of the high preservation potential and abundance of pollen and spores, their presence provides clues about the formational and depositional environment.

Living pollen and spores

what do botanists use in the study of plant relationships and evolution

Actuopalynology

Botanist using living pollen and spores in the study of plant relationships and evolution is called?

Palynologist

Geologists that use fossil pollen and spores to study past environments are called?

Paleopalynology

The study of using fossil pollen and spores to study past environments is called?

Oil Industry

They are credited with demonstrating the usefulness of palynomorphs in the study of stratigraphic sequences of rocks and the potential for oil and gas exploration.

Palynomorphs

They are resistant to decomposition and abundant, can be extracted from rocks and sediments using specialized chemical methods. This extraction also helps scientist understand ancient plant life

Stratigraphers

By analyzing the sequence of palynomorphs in rock layers, these people can correlated rocks of the same age, aiding in the identification and correlation of layers that may contain oil or natural gas.

Aerobiology

used in a survey of atmospheric pollen and spore production and dispersal

Melissopalynology

This is the study of pollen in honey, with the purpose of identifying the source plants used by bees in the production of honey

Pollen analysis

This is analysis is used in solving crimes, it is used by crime scene investigators around the world

Pollen records

These offer insights into historical biodiversity, assisting in conservation planning and habitat restoration efforts.

Past and Present pollen distributors

This help predict how species may shift due to climate change, aiding conservation efforts

Plant Reproductive Biology

This refers to the systems and processes by which plants reproduce, ensuring the survival of their species.

Sexual and Asexual reproduction

2 types of reproduction

Male and Female gametes

In plants, sexual reproduction involves the fusion of what gametes? This also produces offspring with genetic contributions from both parents

Sexual reproduction

This type of reproduction in plants involves the fusion of male and female gametes, which produces offspring with genetic contributions from both parents. This mechanism promotes genetic diversity, which is necessary for adaptation and evolution

Pollination

This is an important step in sexual reproduction that involves transferring pollen from male anther to the female stigma

Self-pollination, Cross-pollination

2 types of pollination

Self-pollination

This pollination occurs when the ovules of a plant are fertilized by pollen from the same flower or another flower on the same plant. Plants with perfect flowers, those that have both stamens and pistils can use this technique

Cross-pollination

This pollination occurs when pollen from one plant fertilizes another plant’s ovules. This promotes genetic variety.

Wind Pollination, Animal pollination

Two types of cross-pollination

Anemophily

Wind pollination is also known as

Wind Pollination

Grass and many trees are among the plants that release large amounts of pollen, which is lightweight and can be carried by wind

Zoophily

Animal pollination is also known as

Animal Pollination

Bees, butterflies, birds, and bats are among the pollinators drawn to many flowering plants. As they travel from blossom to flower, these creatures unintentionally spread pollen mainly because they are attracted to nectar or brightly colored flowers.

Fertilization

When a pollen grain germinates on a suitable stigma following successful pollination, this process takes place.

Pollen Germination, Pollen Tube Growth, Double Fertilization

Enumerate the steps in fertilization

Pollen Germination

This step in fertilization is where a pollen tube is created when the pollen grain collects moisture and germinates after landing on an appropriate stigma

Pollen Tube Growth

This step in fertilization is when under the influence of chemical cues, the pollen tube descends through the style and approaches the ovary.

Double Fertilization

This step in fertilization is where two fertilization events are involved in this distinctive angiosperm trait.

Diploid Zygote

This zygote is created when one sperm cell fertilizes one egg cell

Triploid Endosperm

This grows into a tissue that feeds the embryo, and is created when another sperm cell joins forces with two polar nuclei in the central cell.

Seed Development

After fertilization, a number of crucial processes are involved in this development, which turns the fertilized ovule into a mature seed. This transformation, which includes the creation of important structures, is necessary for the survival of plant species

Embryo, Endosperm, Seed coat

3 primary parts that make up the seed that is produced from the fertilized ovule

Embryo

This important plant will develop into a new sporophyte. It develops from the zygote created after fertilization

Endosperm

This tissue supports the growing embryo nutritionally. It develops when two polar nuclei fuse with one sperm nucleus, producing a triploid cell that rapidly divides to produce the endosperm.

Seed Coat

This is the outermost layer of protection that forms from the ovule's integuments. In order to protect against external stressors and desiccation, the outer integument produces the testa, while the inner integument creates the tegmen.

Fleshy Fruits, Dry Fruits

Types of fruits

Sexual reproduction

This enhances genetic variety among populations by integration the genetic material of two parents. This genetic diversity improves resistance to illnesses and pests as well as flexibility to changes in the environment.

Sexually reproducing plants

These plants can adapt to changing conditions through natural selection acting on a variety of features, they can change more quickly than asexually reproducing plants

Asexual reproduction

This reproduction in plants is a significant biological process that allows plants to propagate without the need of gametes, producing offspring that are genetically identical to their parents. This form of reproduction is critical for many plant species, especially in stable settings where rapid population growth is desirable.

Vegetative Reproduction, Apomixis, Budding, Fragmentation, Spore Formation

Key mechanisms of asexual reproduction