What Is Plant Biology Chapter 1 Outline Human

What Is Plant Biology ? Chapter 1

Outline • • • Human and Animal Dependence on Plants Botany as a Science v Scientific Method Diversification of Plant Study

Human and Animal Dependence on Plants • Plants are the source of multiple products of human society: v Food v Perfumes v Dyes v Beverages v Lumber v Paper v Clothing Copyright © Mc. Graw-Hill Companies Permission Required for Reproduction or Display

Botany As A Science • • At first, interest in plants was practical. v Centered around the production of food, fibers, fuel, and medicine. Eventually, an intellectual interest arose. v Science involves the observation, recording, organization, and classification of information.

Scientific Method • • • Hypothesis - Tentative, unproven explanation of an observation. Experiment - Test to determine if a hypothesis is correct. v Variables - Aspects of the experiment that can be changed or held constant. - Control - All variables held constant. Data - Results from the experiment.

Scientific Method • • Principle - Useful generalization derived from experimental data. Theory - Grouping of related principles.

Diversification of Plant Study • • • Plant Anatomy v Chiefly concerned with internal structure of plants. Plant Physiology v Concerned with plant function. Plant Taxonomy v Plant Systematics - System of classification and naming.

Diversification of Plant Study • • • Plant Geography v Study of plant distributions. Plant Ecology v Study of interaction between plants and their environments. Plant Morphology v Study of the form and structure of plants.

Diversification of Plant Study • • Genetics v Science of Heredity - Enormous potential for further development of better agricultural, medicinal, and other useful plants. Cell Biology v Science of cell structure and function.

Diversification of Plant Study • Economic Botany and Ethnobotany v Examines practical uses of plants and plant products. - Still vast amounts of botanical information yet to be discovered.

Review • • • Human and Animal Dependence on Plants Botany as a Science v Scientific Method Diversification of Plant Study