General Biology 103 ABT: Plant Taxonomy Principles

Study Notes

Plants provide essential food and energy for all living organisms.
They are a source of medicine for various ailments.
Plants supply materials for clothing (fibers) and shelter (timber).
Contribute to human aesthetics and enjoyment.
Industrial applications include rubber, gums, and lumber production.
Vital in maintaining the atmosphere by regulating gases like CO2 and O2.
Essential for environmental healing by reducing pollution and preventing erosion.
Play a critical role in the water cycle and soil nurturing.
They contribute to biogeochemical cycles, including nitrogen cycling.
Some plants can cause ecological problems.

Taxonomy involves the classification, identification, and nomenclature of organisms.
It groups and ranks organisms into hierarchical categories.
Individuals can be organized into different taxa based on shared features.

Utilizes various taxonomic evidence through multivariate traits:
- Alpha taxonomy focuses on morphological characteristics.
- Beta taxonomy includes chemical and DNA analysis.

Developed by Carolus Linnaeus in "Species Plantarum" (1753).
Organisms are assigned a Latin name consisting of two parts: genus (capitalized) and species (all lowercase).
Both names are either underlined or italicized.
Includes the original namer and subsequent renamers, e.g., Vicia kalakhensis Khattab et al.

Variety (var.): Recognized in the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN); a nature-made ecological race (e.g., Ficus elastica var. decora Guillaumin).
Cultivar (cv.): Identified in the International Code of Nomenclature of Cultivated Plants (ICNCP); a man-made cultivated variety (e.g., Ficus elastica Roxb. ex Hornem cv. Abidjan).

Divided into three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
Highlights the importance of symbiosis, particularly the origin of chloroplasts in green plants.
Reflects evolutionary history over billions of years, emphasizing relationships among living organisms.