Introduction to General Botany PDF

Introduction to General Botany  Learning Objective  Define the scope of botany and its relevance in ecology, agriculture/industry and medicine.  Botany  Branch of biology concerned with the scientific study of plants including their physiology, struc...

Introduction to General Botany  Learning Objective  Define the scope of botany and its relevance in ecology, agriculture/industry and medicine.  Botany  Branch of biology concerned with the scientific study of plants including their physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, classification, and economic importance. Division of Natural Sciences  Subdivisions of Botany Subdivisions of Botany Basic features Plant anatomy The study of the internal structure of plants. Plant physiology the study of plant function and behaviour, encompassing all the dynamic processes of growth, metabolism, reproduction, defence, and communication that account for plants being alive (Salisbury & Ross, 1992; Baluška et al., 2006; Scott, 2008). Plant taxonomy the science that finds, identifies, describes, classifies, and names plants. Plant systematics its primary goal is to reconstruct the evolutionary history of plant life. It divides plants into taxonomic groups, using morphological, anatomical, embryological, chromosomal and chemical data.  Subdivisions of Botany Plant geography the study of the distributions of plants and animals through time. Plant ecology examines the relationships between plants and their physical and biotic environment. Plant morphology is the general term for the study of the morphology (physical form and external structure) of plants. This is usually considered distinct from plant anatomy, which is the study of the internal structure of plants, especially at the microscopic level. Plant genetics the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity specifically in plants..  Subdivisions of Botany Cell biology the study of cell structure and function, and revolves around the concept that the cell is the fundamental unit of life. Economic botany the study of the relationship between people (individuals and cultures) and plants. Ethnobotany the study of a region's plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people.  Relevance of Botany Ecology Botany Agriculture/Industry Medicine Relevance of Botany:  Agriculture  Plants are at the base of all food chains (producers).  Most staple foods either comes directly from plants or from animals that consume plants (herbivores).  Botanist study how plants produce food and increase their yield. How to feed the world and provide food security for future generations Control of plant pathogens in agriculture and natural ecosystems. Relevance of Botany:  Industry  Many plants are sources of clothes and shelter (house hold furniture).  Some plants are sources of perfumes, spices, dyes, adhesives, digestible surgical stitching fiber, food stabilizers, beverages, and emulsifiers. The basic understanding of plants, their characteristics/properties have led to discovery of many of these products. Relevance of Botany:  Medicines  Many plants produce secondary metabolites (e.g. alkaloids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds etc.) that are potential source of drugs.  25-40% of pharmaceutical medicines are derived from plants, 40-50% are direct or synthetic copies of plant ingredients (Source: WHO) Botanist study the chemical properties of plants which are useful in developing new sources of medicines. Relevance of Botany:  Ecology  Plants contribute to ecological balance Described as a sustainable ecological environment, where species coexist with one another in an ecosystem in an organized way.  The role of plants in ecological balance:  provide nutrients to all living organisms  release of oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide and improve the air quality  provide shelter to organisms  prevent soil erosion Relevance of Botany:  Ecology  Botany provides relevant information regarding plants which helps understand the environment and also helps in the development of ecological research for environmental protection and conservation. Ex. How do plants mitigate the effects of climate change? Trees remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they release into the atmosphere. By removing carbon dioxide, they reduce the greenhouse effect and this would contribute to a reduction in global temperature.