BIO 202: Plants and Human Affairs Review Notes

Distinction:
- Herbs: Generally leaves of non-woody plants used for flavoring or medicinal purposes.
- Spices: Dried parts of plants (bark, roots, seeds) that have stronger flavors or aromas.
Essential Oils:
- Located in specialized cells or glands in plants.
- Rich Plant Family: The Lamiaceae (mint) family is known for high essential oil content.
Use of Spices:
- Enhance flavor, preservation, and potential health benefits.
Common Spices Information:
- Review specific spices:
- Example: Cinnamon (from bark), Cloves (dried flower buds).

Population Reliance: Roughly 80% of the global population uses herbal remedies for health needs.
Extract vs. Purified Compound:
- No absolute answer; depth of justification required in arguments.
Bioprospecting: The search for plant and animal species from which medicinal drugs and other commercially valuable products can be obtained.
Ethnobotany: The study of how people relate to plants, notably in relation to medicinal uses.
Key Medicinal Plants:
- Digitalis (heart medicine), Poppies (morphine source), Guaiacum (anti-inflammatory), Artemisia (anti-malarial), Cinchona (quinine source).

Cultivation vs. Domestication:
- Cultivation: Growing plants for food, domestication: transformation for human benefit through selective breeding.
Societal Changes: Development of permanent settlements, population growth, complex societies.
Dump Heap Hypothesis: Proposes agriculture began with discarded food leading to self-sowing plants.
Neolithic Revolution Stimuli: Climate changes, population pressure, availability of wild grain resources.
Traits of Domestication:
- Non-shattering, larger seeds, synchronous flowering.
Polyploidy: Key in crop speciation; offers genetic variation.
N.I. Vavilov: Soviet botanist, his work focused on centers of origin of cultivated plants.
Selection Methods:
- Natural Selection: Survival of the fittest.
- Artificial Selection: Human-driven selection for desired traits.
- Genetic Modification: Direct alteration of plant genetics to achieve specific results.

Grain Importance: Major source of calories in human diets worldwide.
Grass Products: Flour, cereal, fodder, biofuel.
Intercalary Meristem: Specific tissue in grasses allowing for regrowth after cutting.
Grain Parts:
- Bran: Outer layer, rich in fiber and nutrients.
- Germ: Embryo of the seed, high in vitamins and fats.
- Endosperm: Provides energy to the developing seedling; starchy and a major source of calories.
Chaff: The husks of grains, removed during harvesting and can be important for seed dispersal.
Bread Rising Factors: Yeast fermentation produces gases, causing dough to rise.
Economically Important Corn Products: Sweeteners, ethanol, animal feed.
Teosinte: Wild ancestor of corn; domestication included selecting for favorable traits over time.
Key Grasses: Sugar cane, wheat, rice, oats.

Major Grain-Legume Combinations: Rice and beans, corn and beans, wheat and lentils.
Legume Protein Content: Higher in protein compared to grains, making them dietary staples.
Pulses: Edible seeds; examples include lentils, chickpeas, and beans.
Raw Beans: Generally toxic due to lectins; must be cooked to be safe to eat.
Fabaceae Fruit Type: Fruits are legumes or pods, containing seeds inside.
Root Nodules: Locations for nitrogen fixation, crucial for soil fertility; partnered with Rhizobium bacteria.
Crop Rotation: Enhances soil health; legumes restore nitrogen while reducing pests and diseases.
Death Zone: Areas where soil conditions are so poor that vegetation cannot grow; can impact agricultural biodiversity.
Peanut Fruit Production: Uniquely produces fruit underground; an example of geocarpy.
Three Sisters Model: Agricultural system where corn, beans, and squash beneficially grow together, supporting each other's growth and nutrient needs.
Common Fabaceae Members: Peas, peanuts, soybeans, chickpeas.