Lecture no. 1 Introduction

BOTANY: Introduction

What is BOTANY?

• Botany is the scientific study of plants:

  • Structure, functions, growth, reproduction, evolution, and classification.

  • It explores interactions between plants and their environment.

  • Highlights the importance of plants to ecosystems, agriculture, medicine, and industry.

• Subfields of Botany:

  • Plant physiology, plant ecology, plant genetics, taxonomy.

Importance of Plants

• Photosynthesis: Essential for sustaining life.

• Source of Food: Fundamental for human diets.

• Materials Provided: Fuel, shelter, and paper products.

• Biotechnology: Plays a role in various scientific applications.

The Study of Botany Encompasses

1. Origin of plants.

2. Diversity of species.

3. Structure and internal processes of plants.

4. Relationships between plants and other organisms and their environment.

Characteristics of Plants

• Highly organized biological systems.

• Energy utilization.

• Growth and development.

• Reproduction mechanisms.

• Genetic information transmission (DNA).

• Genetic changes in plant populations.

• Biological diversity.

Historical Background

• Plants utilized by humans since prehistoric times.

• Early records include the Ebers papyrus (1500 BC) listing Egyptian medicinal plants.

• Chinese cultivation circa 2500 BC (orange, rice, ephedra).

• Plant science evolved from Greek interpretations and classification.

Contributions from Historical Figures

• Aristotle (384-322 BC): Philosophical approach to studying plants.

• Theophrastus (371-287 BC): "Father of Plant Science;" authored "The Inquiry into Plants" and "The History of Plants."

• Dioscorides: Wrote "Materia Medica" on medicinal plants.

Roman Contributions to Botany

• Gato: Authored the first agricultural book, "De Rustica."

• Pliny the Elder: Described nearly a thousand plant species in "Natural History."

• Albertus Magnus: Known as the "Aristotle of the Middle Ages."

Notable Herbalists

• Otto Brunfels: Authored "Herbarium Vivae Eicones."

• Helronymous Bock: Distinguished plant descriptions in natural conditions.

• Leonard Fuchs: Wrote "The History of Herbs."

• Andrea Caesalpino: Recognized seed and fruit importance in classification.

• Gaspard Bauhin: Adapted binomial nomenclature system for naming.

• Matthias de L'Obel: Distinguished monocots from dicots.

Founders of Modern Botany

• John Ray: Laid the foundation of modern plant taxonomy based on natural systems.

• Carolus von Linnaeus: Proposed sexual plant classification system.

• A.L. de Jussieu and A.P. de Candolle: Contributed to phylogenetic classification.

• Zacharias Jansen: Perfected magnifying lens for plant studies.

• Robert Hooke: Coined the term "cells" in plant tissues.

Contributions to Plant Physiology

• Camerarius: Demonstrated flower sexuality and the role of pollen.

• Mattias Jakob Schleiden and Theodore Schwann: Developed Cell Theory.

• Gregor Mendel: Established Laws of Inheritance, regarded as the Father of Genetics.

• J.B. von Helmont: Discovered plant mass increase derives from water, foundational for plant physiology.

• Stephen Hales: Conducted experiments on food manufacture and material transport in plants.

The Scope of Botany

• Divided into:

  • Pure Botany: Studies plant characteristics and classification.

  • Applied Botany: Focused on practical applications in agriculture and industry.

General Botany: Includes a comprehensive study of various aspects of plants and their interactions with the environment. Key components encompass:

• Taxonomy: The science of naming and classifying organisms, focusing on plant species and their relationships.

• Morphology: The study of the form and structure of plants, including leaves, stems, roots, and reproductive parts.

• Physiology: Examines the functions of plant systems, covering processes like photosynthesis, respiration, and nutrient uptake.

• Genetics: Explores hereditary traits in plants, including how traits are passed from one generation to the next and the role of DNA in plant development.

• Evolution: Investigates the adaptation and evolution of plant species over time, including the origins of diversity within plant groups.

• Ecology: Studies plant interactions with their environment, including the roles they play in ecosystems and their relationships with other organisms.

• Phytogeography: Focuses on the geographical distribution of plant species and the factors influencing their locations.

• Paleobotany: The study of fossilized plants to understand the history of plant life and the Earth’s climate over geological time.

Specialized Botany: Includes subfields focusing on specific plant types:

• Phycology: The study of algae, including their classification, ecology, and importance in ecosystems.

• Mycology: The study of fungi, exploring their characteristics, life cycles, and roles in various environments, including their use in medicine and food.

• Pteridology: The study of ferns and their relatives, covering their structure, growth, and ecological significance.

• Agrostology: The study of grasses, crucial for understanding grassland ecosystems, agriculture, and the importance of grasses in human diets and industry.

Why Study Botany?

• Essential for human existence and understood in economic contexts:

  • Plants are the foundation of human diets (cereals, vegetables, fruits).

  • Clothing derived from plants (cotton, ramie).

  • Medicines and economic products (coconut, tobacco).

Botanical Work in the Philippines

• Major contributions made by members of religious orders on systematic botany:

  • F. Manuel Blanco: Flora de Filipinas.

  • Elmer de Merril: Work on Indo-Malayan botany.

  • E.B. Copeland: Authority on Philippine ferns and rice physiology.

World of Plants: Types and Groups

• Plants categorized by various criteria:

  1. Size: Bacteria, seaweeds, redwoods.

  2. Body Forms: Unicellular to multicellular plants with varying structures.

  3. Seed Forms: Flowering (Angiosperms) vs. non-flowering plants (Cryptogams).

  4. Texture and Habit: Trees, shrubs, herbs.

  5. Growth Position: Erect, prostrate, climbing plants.

  6. Longevity: Annuals, biennials, perennials.

  7. Habitat: Terrestrial, epiphytes, aquatic.

  8. Water Requirements: Hydrophytic, mesophytic, xerophytic, halophytic plants.

  9. Shoot Form: Excurrent (cone-shaped) vs. deliquescent (branching) plants.

  10. Leaf Shedding: Deciduous vs. evergreen plants.

Activities of Plants

• Vegetative Activities: Concerned with growth and preservation, involves:

  • Absorption, translocation, photosynthesis, digestion, assimilation, respiration, transpiration.

• Reproductive Activities: Involves continuation of species through flowers, fruits, seeds.

Distribution and Classification of Plants

• Plant diversity influenced by:

  • Environmental conditions

  • Evolutionary history

• Classification Methods: Evolved from Theophrastus to contemporary phylogenetic systems:

  1. Natural, based on true affinities.

  2. Artificial, based on superficial characteristics.

  3. Phylogenetic classification based on genetic relationships.

Naming of Plants

• Common Names: Often inconsistent and can lead to confusion.

• Scientific Names: Standardized Latin names established for uniformity in global scientific communication; governed by rules from the International Botanical Congress.

Origin of Scientific Names

• Generally derived from historical names relating to distinctive characteristics of plants:

  • Example meanings for species names: alba (white), grandiflora (large flower).

Division of Plants

• Prokaryotes: Bacteria, cyanobacteria.

• **Eukaryotes: All divisions including protozoans, fungi, bryophytes, and vascular plants (ferns, seed plants).

  • Detail structures of each type, emphasizing key characteristics such as chloroplasts, growth forms, and reproductive mechanisms.