Introduction to Botany

Plant Ecology

Interrelationships among plants, and between plants and their environment

Plant Genetics

Plant heredity and variation

Plant Paleontology (=Paleobotany)

Biology and evolution of plants in the geologic past (=plant fossils)

Plant Geography (=Phytogeography; geobotany)

Geographical distribution of plants

Plant Taxonomy/Systematics

Plant classification, identification, description, nomenclature, diversity

Palynology

Scientific study of living and fossil spores and pollen grains

Ethnobotany

Scientific study of the traditional knowledge and customs of a people concerning plants and their medical, religious, and other economic uses

Forestry

Forest conservation and forest products

Agronomy

Field crops and soils

Horticulture

The science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, or ornamental plants

Economic Botany

Plants with commercial importance

Pharmacognosy

A branch of pharmacology dealing with medicinal substances of biological origin and especially medicinal substances obtained from plants

Plant Pathology

Scientific study of plant diseases

Artemisinin

• Cure against the malarial parasite

• Youyou Tu

Photosynthesis-Calvin Cycle

Melvin Calvin

Alkaloids

Sir Robert Robinson

Chlorophyll - Photosynthetic Reaction Center

Richard Martin Willstatter

Scientific Method in Botany

1. Recognize a problem

2. Develop a hypothesis

3. Design and perform an experiment

4. Analyze and interpret the data

5. Share new knowledge

Criteria of Science (CONPTT)

• Consistent

• Observable

• Natural

• Predictable

• Testable

• Tentative

Plant Blindness

• The inability to see or notice the plants in one’s own environment;

• The inability to recognize the importance of plants in the biosphere and in human affairs

Botany

• Plant biology

• The scientific study of plants

Plants

• Organisms that are eukaryotic

• Multicellular

• Having cellulosic cell walls

• Containing chloroplasts with chlorophylls a & b

• Photosynthetic

• No locomotion

• Produce embryos