WORLD OF PLANTS n Many uses for plants: n - (a) Source of food n - (b) Medicines (25% have plant material) –Poppy plant - morphine for pain relief –Foxglove - digitoxin for heart disease –Penicillium (fungus) - antibiotic Penicillin n - (c) Raw Materials (e.g timber, cotton)

Plants for food n Can you think of examples where the following parts are edible: n - leaves n - roots n - fruits n - beans/seeds n - stems n - flowers

Specialised Plants n Cotton n - Seed oil & protein used for animal feed n - Fibres used to make cloth n Seaweed (produce alginates) n - for gels, thickeners, emulsions n - useful for toothpaste, jelly, handcream, clingfilm, ice cream ……..

Future use of Plants n Food Sources n 20 plants feed 90% of world population n BUT: over 75,000 edible plants exist n Some could be used to replace basic crops (rice, potato) n Genetic Storehouse n Wild plants can be bred with domestic plants n e.g. wild corn ( + domestic corn (high food yield)= perfect crop n e.g. wild corn (resistant to disease) + domestic corn (high food yield)= perfect crop

Timber Production n Conifer Trees grown for their timber n - Land Preparation: –High sloping land used. Drainage trenches dug. n - Planting & Managing: –Young nursery trees planted in rows –All weeds cleared –Poor growing trees removed (‘thinning’) –Lower branches pruned –Pesticides used for disease

Timber Production n After 50 years: n Harvesting & Marketing: –- Scots pine - telegraph poles, chip-board, paper etc. –- Norway spruce - furniture-making, interior joinery

Future use of Plants (ctd.) n Medicines: n Over 2000 plants might be useful for medicines (anti-cancer or antibiotics) n Only 40 plant species currently used n New drugs have to go through trials: n human cells n animals n human volunteers