What Is Plant Biology ? Chapter 1

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

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

Botany As A Science At first, interest in plants was practical.  Centered around the production of food, fibers, fuel, and medicine. Eventually, an intellectual interest arose.  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.  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  Chiefly concerned with internal structure of plants. Plant Physiology  Concerned with plant function. Plant Taxonomy  Plant Systematics - System of classification and naming.

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

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

Diversification of Plant Study Economic Botany and Ethnobotany  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  Scientific Method Diversification of Plant Study

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