Biology Chapter on Reproduction and Genetics

Study Notes

New individuals arise from asexual or sexual reproduction methods.
Asexual reproduction includes processes like budding, fragmentation, and vegetative propagation.

Evolution occurs as cumulative genetic changes in populations over generations.
Natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin, favors organisms with beneficial adaptations, enhancing their survival and reproduction.

Most plants can photosynthesize, utilizing raw materials from air and soil, while animals depend on plants for food.
Chlorophyll, a green pigment, is present in most plants but absent in animals.
Structural cellulose is found in plants, differentiating them from most animals.
Plants are typically stationary; animals are capable of movement.
Plants exhibit unlimited growth through meristems, unlike the limited growth of most animals.
Spores are produced by most plants as non-sexual reproductive cells, unlike animals.

Aims to develop plants resistant to pests, droughts, and pollution.
Genetic engineering allows for the production of pharmaceutical chemicals (biopharming).
Traditional breeding and genetic engineering work together for better plant traits.
Utilization of plants for bioremediation to remove environmental pollutants.

Organization: Cells are the fundamental building blocks of living organisms.
Energy: Plants capture and transform light energy via photosynthesis into chemical energy.
Cellular respiration generates energy from organic molecules for biological work.

Photosynthesis is essential for creating glucose and other nutrients needed by living organisms.
It supports the food chain, with plants as primary producers.

Knowledge of plants was limited during the Dark Ages; herbalists relied on theories based on physical resemblances in plant parts.
The invention of the microscope advanced the study of plant structure and functions.

Fundamental to a liberal education, as it intersects with multiple human activities.
Understanding plants fosters appreciation for their role in ecosystems and human livelihood.
Knowledge is crucial in various fields, including forestry, pharmaceuticals, agronomy, and conservation.

Plant Molecular Biology: Studies structures and functions of essential biological molecules.
Plant Cell Biology: Examines life processes of plant cells.
Plant Physiology: Investigates plant functions, like photosynthesis and nutrition.
Plant Genetics: Explores heredity and variation in plants.
Plant Ecology: Analyzes relationships among plants and their environment.
Plant Taxonomy and Systematics: Focuses on naming species and evolutionary relationships.
Plant Geography: Studies distribution patterns of plant species.
Plant Morphology: Investigates the form and structure of plants.
Cytology: Concerned with the structure and function of cells.