Bot-Lec (Sem-1) - Chapter 1: An Introduction to Botany

botany

the study of plants and plant life

botanikos

Greek for botanical

botane

Greek for plant/herb

medicine

closely linked with botany for hundreds of years

primitive medicine men and witch doctors

first people to specialize in botany

cellulose

plant cell walls

eggs and sperm; spores

two adult forms of plants

multicellular eukaryotes

plant cell type

photosynthetic autotrophs

plant mode of nutrition

sexual and asexual

plant reproduction

determinate and indeterminate

plant growth

oxygen + glucose

sunlight + carbon dioxide + water =

primary producer

plants' producer level

Genesis 1: 29-30

God created plants before man because of the need for man to breathe oxygen and for food.

Theobroma cacao

scientific name of the plant from which chocolate comes from

carbon cycle

the movement of carbon from the nonliving environment into living things and back

carbon enters the atmosphere as CO2

carbon cycle step 1

CO2 absorbed by plants

carbon cycle step 2

animal consumes plants, incorporating carbon into their system

carbon cycle step 3

animal and plants die, releasing carbon back into the atmosphere

carbon cycle step 4

nitrogen cycle

the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms, including nitrogen fixation and decomposition

nitrogen fixation

process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use

nitrogen assimilation

the incorporation of nitrogen into organic cell substances by living organisms.

nitrogen ammonification

soil bacteria, microbes & decomposers converting waste & dead biomass back into NH3 and returning it to soil

nitrification

the process by which nitrites and nitrates are produced by bacteria in the soil

denitrification

process in which fixed nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere

plant anatomy; plant morphology; plant genetics; plant physiology; plant pathology; ecology; paleobotany

branches of botany

plant anatomy/phytotomy

study of internal plant structure

plant morphology/phytomorphology

study of external plant structure

plant genetics

study of plant heredity and variation

plant physiology

study of plant function

plant pathology/phytopathology

study of plant diseases caused by biotic and abiotic agents

plant ecology

study of the interactions between plants and the environment

paleobotany

study of plant fossils

molecular level; cellular, tissue, and organelle; community and population level

plant levels of study

molecular level

biochemical, molecular and genetic functions of plants

cellular, tissue, and organelle

the anatomy and physiology of plants

community and population level

involves interactions within a species, with other species and with the environment

photosynthetic

all plants are

leaves; fruit or flowers; stems; seeds

not all plants have

hunters/gatherers

early human cultures were

plant taxonomy

oldest branch of plant study; important for distinguishing edible and non-edible plants

8000-12000 years ago

when did agriculture start

Chinese; Egyptians; Assyrian; Inca; Mayan

ancient civilizations

Empedocles

believed that plants, like animals, had soul, reason, and common sense

Aristotle

classified organisms as plant or animal

Theophrastus

father of botany; pupil of Aristotle

Carolus Linnaeus

Swedish; father of taxonomy; binomial nomenclature

Carl von Linne

birth name of Carolus Linnaeus

binomial nomenclature

the system of nomenclature in which two terms are used to denote a species of living organism, the first one indicating the genus and the second the specific epithet

bryophytes

nonvascular land plants

tracheophytes

vascular land plants

spermatophytes

seed plants

gymnosperms

a plant that produces seeds that are exposed rather than seeds enclosed in fruits

angiosperms

flowering plants that produce seeds in fruit

Raflessia

largest bloom in the world (~1 m)

Pinus longaeva

Great Basin bristlecone pine; longest living tree in the world (~5000 years)

Sequoiadendron giganteum

giant sequoia; longest tree in the world (~100 m)

Passiflora

passion flower

oxygen

plants produce most of the ______ we breathe

Joseph Priestley

recognized that an animal's breathing "injured" air, while plants "restore air"; he conducted two experiments wherein he trapped a mouse in one sealed container and trapped another mouse in a different container, although the second one had a plant; the mouse with the plant survived longer

photosynthesis

process by which plants and some other organisms use light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates such as sugars and starches

vitamin A; vitamin C; vanillin; caffeine; morphine

plants can produce an amazing assortment of chemicals

vitamin A

supports the overall health of the skin; aids in the health, function, and repair of skin cells; has been shown to improve the skin's elasticity and thickness

vitamin C

an important substance needed for proper repair of the skin and tissues; promotes the production of collagen in the skins dermal tissues; aids in and promotes the skins healing process

vanillin

vanilla

caffeine

a mild stimulant found in coffee, tea, and several other plant-based substances

morphine

narcotic drug derived from opium, used to treat severe pain

cork

cells were first observed in

Robert Hooke

first to observe "small chambers" in cork and call them cells.

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)

first virus discovered and first virus purified

Dmitri Ivanovsky

discovered viruses

Nicotania tabacum

tobacco; first plant to be purified of virus

Gregor Mendel

Austrian Augustinian monk and botanist whose experiments in breeding garden peas led to his eventual recognition as founder of the science of genetics (1822-1884)

law of inheritance

foundation of plant genetics and breeding

Pisum sativum

garden pea; species used in Mendel's study of peas

sickle cell anemia

a genetic disorder that causes abnormal hemoglobin, resulting in some red blood cells assuming an abnormal sickle shape

Norman Borlaug

Father of the Green Revolution; distinguished plant breeder, 1914-2009

Coffea arabica

coffee plant; provides for non-intoxicating social interactions; produces caffeine

25 million

number of coffee producing family farms

$65 billion

retail US sales of coffee in 2001

wines

an alcoholic drink made from grapes or other plants; dark red color

endothelin-1

chemical produced by cells in the walls of blood vessels; high concentrations can constrict blood vessels which can lead to heart disease

Roger Corder

he and his colleagues at the Queen Mary, University of London, set out to test whether drinking red wine might inhibit ET-1 production

polyphenols

in red wine; similar amount in red grape juice; not much in white or rose wine

spices

the bark, roots, seeds, buds, or berries of an aromatic plant.

$2 billion

retail sales of spices in the US in 1994

U.S.

largest provider and consumer of spices; largest floral producer

lycopene

natural compound; a pigment responsible for the red color of tomatoes and other red-hued vegetables;

yohimbine

natural compound; aphrodisiac, used for treating erectile dysfunction; derived from Pausinystalia johimbe

Pausinystalia johimbe

Yohimbe; plant that produces yohimbine compound

taxol

medicine; cancer drug; derived from Taxus brevifolia

Taxus brevifolia

Pacific yew tree; plant that produces taxol medicine

saponins

active plant constituents that produce a soap-like lather in water

ginseng

Panax; contains saponin; used for treating stomach and nervous disorders

alkaloids

potent plant chemicals that contain nitrogen

ephedrine

alkaloid; cures hypotension; derived from Ephedra

Ephedra

Mormon tea plant; cures hypotension; produces ephedrine

quinine

alkaloid; used for treatment against malaria; derived from Cinchona

Cinchona

tree bark used for quinine (malaria treatment)