INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY

Botany Botany is the branch of biology concerned with the scientific study of
plants. Traditionally, botanists studied all organisms that were not
generally regarded as animal. However, advances in our knowledge about
the myriad forms of life, especially microbes (viruses and bacteria), have
led to spinning off from Botany the specialized field called Microbiology.
Still, the microbes are usually covered in introductory Botany courses,
although their status as neither animal nor plant is firmly established.

It was alluded to in the opening definition that Botany is a science. Just

what makes Botany, or anything else a science? It is important to acquire a
grasp of the fundamentals of science itself to fully appreciate both how
botanical knowledge of was gained as well as how it can be used. It is
usually quickly disinteresting to acquire facts simply for the sake of
knowing. Humans do not just appreciate mountains because they are
there, they climb them because they are there!

Plants Is a living things typically green possecing green pigment called

chlorophyll (green pigment of the plant responsible to absorb energy from
the sun) and by means of this pigment, a part of the energy coming from
the sun is absorb and by means of this energy carbon dioxide and water
are combine forming carbohydrate food which is a food of a plant, since
the raw materials, carbon dioxide and water are found everywhere, the
plant does not have to have the power of locomotion. Since the plant
cannot move,the plant can protect itself by means of the rigid walls of
cellulose (Is a substance found in the cellwalls of plant cells that is
characterized as hard, colorless, non-motile, and most of all resistant to
many environmental condition).

Uses of Plants There can be no disputing the fundamental significance of plants to the
ecology of our planet. Photosynthetic plants utilize energy arriving from the
sun to create complex organic molecules from inorganic substances, and by
this process contribute oxygen to the atmosphere. Advanced animal life is
very much dependent upon this source of oxygen. However, humans utilize
plants in many other ways, especially as sources of pleasure, food, and
material for shelter and more. Consider here the role plants play in our
everyday lives and in our economy.

TERMS COMMONLY USED IN THE STUDY OF PLANT LIFE

DURATION OF PLANT LIFE – life span of the plants
 Annuals – plants that live for only one year season of single season.
Examples: sugar cane, rice, etc.
  Biennials – plnats that live during the favorable growing period of two
years. Examples: carrots, cabbage, turnips.
 Perrenials – plants that live frm year to year. Examples: tropical trees,
fruit bearing trees, etc.

HABITS OF PLANTS – refers to the formof growth of plants.

 Trees – these are erect plants, perrenials, with large singlewoody stem
five meters ormore in height. Example is coconut.
 Shrubs – with one single woody stem, perennials, smaller than trees
with several branches arising or at near the ground. Examples coffee,
mango, citrus and ramabutan.
 Herbs – the stem of herbs develop only very little woody tissues and can
live for only a year or two. Examples are banana, sugar cane, corn and
pandan.
 Vines – plants with slender stem either soft or hard and climbing over
other plants or object. These plants are provided of organ for support
calle tendrils. Examples are upo, calabasa and sitaw.
 Scandent shrubs – woody vines sprawling over other plants or objects
commonly no special organ for climbing. Examples are bougainvillea
and sampaguita.
HABITAT OF PLANTS – the kind of environment in which the plant grow.
 Terrestrials – plant that grow on the ground or in the soil. Examples are
all land plants.
 Aquatic – plant the grow in water. Example watyer lily.
 Hydrophytes –on decaying plant that grow under very wet condition.
Example is palay.
 Epiphytes / Aerial – air plants, grown on another plants but do not take
nourishment form it. Example is orchids
 Parasite – grow on another plant and take nourishment form it.
Examples are rust and molds.
 Saprophytes – plant that do not posses chlorophyll and grow on
decaying organic matter. Example is mushroom.
 Xerophytes – grow under very dry habitat. Example is cactus.
 Mesophytes – plants that are not specialized to grow in either very dry
or very wet habitat. Example is lansones.
 Halophytes – growing on saline or salty conditon. Examples are
mangrove and seaweeds.
 Glycophytes – Plants grow in non-saline of not salty condition. Example
is hydrilla.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF MONOCOTS, DICOTS AND

GYMNOSPERMS

Division Spermatophyta - seed bearing plants

 Gymnosperms
Angiosperms (Angiospermae)
Subdivision (Gymnospermae)
(flowering plants with seeds enclosed)
(cones with naked seeds)
Monocots (Monocotyledoneae) Dicots (Dicotyledoneae)
Class (means 1 cotyledon) (means 2 cotyledons)

2 cotyledons; endosperm often 1 to many cotyledons; no endosperm;

Seeds 1 cotyledon; endosperm often present
lacking female gametophyte tissue present

Flowers Flower parts in multiples of 3 Flower parts in multiples of 4 or 5 No true flowers

Linear; leaf base or petiole (if present)

Leaves Broad; petiole present; net venation Needle-like or scale-like
sheathing; parallel venation

Vascular Ring of vascular bundles in primary Ring of vascular bundles in primary

Scattered vascular bundles; no
System growth; cambium present; may have growth; cambium present; may have
cambium or secondary growth
of Stem woody secondary growth woody secondary growth

Growth Herbaceous to wood-like (ex. palm),

Herbaceous or woody Herbaceous or woody
Habit but no true wood (secondary xylem)

General
Appearance
PLANT HISTOLOGY
Tissues Is group of cells of similar structure like shape, size and arrangement
having a common origin which together performing a specific
function.

Most plant cells are specialized to a greater or lesser degree, and

arranged together in tissues. A plant tissue can be simple or complex
depending upon whether it is composed of one or more than one
type of cell. The simplest tissue found in plants is called
parenchyma. The cells are not very specialized, more or less
rounded or angular where packed together, and thin-walled. A type
of parenchyma called chlorenchyma because the cells contain
chloroplasts forms tissue (usually in the leaves) responsible for
photosynthesis occurring in the plant. Note that in simple tissues at
least (tissues comprised mostly of one cell type), the tissue name
follows from the cell type. However, tissues may also have unique
anatomical names related to where in the plant they occur. The
principal tissues of the plants are:

Meristematic Tissues Found at the tip of the roots and branches,composed of cells that are
actively dividing characterized as long or elongated with thin cell
walls and with big nucleus.

Tissues comprised of cells that remain undifferentiated and supply,

by their divisions, cells to form new tissues and organs, are called
meristems. Meristem tissue occurs in places that allow for a very
orderly pattern of growth. Meristematic tissues are:

 Apical Meristem – located just behind the root cap and the apex
of the stem and responsible forgrowth of the root and the stem.
 Lateral Meristem – located outside the cylinder of the wood and
responsible for the thickness of the stem.
 Intercallary Meristem – found just above the node and at the face
of the leaf sheath.