Studypool: @laceyair

INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY

BOTANY ● Plants are sessile. This means

● The scientific study of plants. plants don’t move from point to
● Also known as plant biology. point. Although they can move by
responding to stimuli, they know
PLANT BLINDNESS where to move their roots, where the
● This is a phenomenon where people sun is, and where the other plants
tend to underappreciate the flora are.
around them. ● Not all parts of plants
● This can also be the inability to see photosynthesize. Some examples
or notice the plants in one's own are the roots and ground tissues.
environment. ● Plants produce embryos.
● This can have disastrous
consequences not only for the PLANTS ARE AMAZING ORGANISMS
environment but also for human ● Rafflesia arnoldii - Largest flower
health. (~1m)
● Pinus longaeva - Longest living
PLANTS MAKE US HAPPY (~5000 years)
● People at work who can see ● Sequoiadendron giganteum -
plants report significantly greater Largest organism (>100m)
job satisfaction than those who
can’t. WE COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT PLANTS
● Plants produce most of the
FACTS ABOUT PLANTS oxygen we breathe.
● Plants are photosynthetic. The ● Plants produce most of the
idea of being photosynthetic is to be chemically stored energy we
able to get energy. Plants are able consume as food and burn for fuel.
to convert the energy of the sun ● Plants produce an amazing
and convert it to sugars. assortment of useful chemicals.
● Not all plants are photosynthetic,
some are parasitic, which means PLANTS CAN PRODUCE AN
that they can get their food from ASSORTMENT OF CHEMICALS
other types, sources, or other ● Vitamin A
mechanisms. ● Vanillin
● Plants are eukaryotic. Just like ● Vitamin C
human cells, plants also have a ● Caffeine
nucleus and mitochondria. ● Morphine
● Plants are multicellular organisms.
Their basic unit of life is composed WHY DO WE STUDY PLANTS?
of cells, tissue, and organs. ● To help conserve endangered plants
● Plants contain chloroplasts with and threatened environments.
chlorophyll A and B. ● To learn more about the natural
● They have cellulosic walls. world.

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● To better harness the abilities of 4. Plant Anatomy

plants to provide us with food, ● Plant internal features (cells and
medicines, and energy. tissues) as revealed through
dissection.
SUBDISCIPLINES OF BOTANY
1. Plant Molecular Biology 5. Plant Morphology
● Structures and functions of important ● Plant external features (physical
biological molecules (proteins, form and structures).
nucleic acids). ● Plasticity - the ability of the plant to
● Central Dogma of Molecular adjust to a particular environment
Biology by altering the rate of growth,
○ Transcription - Conversion development, and metabolism.
of DNA to mRNA.
○ Translation - Conversion of 6. Plant Physiology
mRNA to protein. ● How plants function
○ Traits are inside the DNA (photosynthesis, mineral nutrition,
which can be seen inside respiration, transportation, etc.) =
the nucleus of a cell. metabolic reactions.
○ DNA needs to become a ● Comparison of before and after
protein to do its job. exposure to light.
○ Genes are edited on the
DNA level, not on the protein 7. Plant Ecology
level. ● Interrelationships among plants,
○ DNA template will be and between plants and their
converted into mRNA or environment.
messenger RNA.
○ RNA & Protein = very 8. Plant Genetics
sensitive to degradation; ● Plant heredity and variation.
easy to edit. ○ Variation is the mixed genes
○ Proteins are the workforce with parents.
and functional unit of DNA.
9. Plant Paleontology
2. Plant Biochemistry ● Also called Paleobotany.
● Chemical interactions within plants ● Biology and evolution of plants in
plus the chemicals they produce. the geologic past (plant fossils).
● Chemistry that deals with chemical
products and their effects on the 10. Plant Geography
organism – the plant. ● Also called Phytogeography or
Geobotany.
3. Plant Cell Biology ● Geographical distribution of
● Also called Plant Cytology plants.
● Structures, functions, and life
processes of plant cells.

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11. Plant Taxonomy or Systematics 19. Agronomy

● Plant classification, identification, ● Field crops and soils.
description, nomenclature, and
diversity. 20. Horticulture
● The science and art of growing
12. Phycology fruits, vegetables, flowers, or
● Algae biology and taxonomy. ornamental plants.

13. Bryology 21. Economic Botany

● Non-vascular plants (mosses, ● Plants with commercial importance
liverworts, hornworts) biology and (spices, fibers).
taxonomy.
○ Small 22. Pharmacognosy
○ Vascular Tissues = Stem, ● A branch of pharmacology dealing
Xylem, Phloem, Roots with medical substances of
○ Xylem - carry only water biological origin and especially
from the roots to the surface, medicinal substances obtained from
dead cells. plants.
○ Phloem - carries nutrients
and living cells. 23. Plant Pathology
● Also called Phytopathology.
14. Mycology ● The scientific study of plant
● Fungi biology and taxonomy. diseases, the mechanisms by which
diseases develop in individual
15. Pteridology plants/plant populations, and how
● Ferns and ferns allies biology and plant diseases can be
taxonomy. managed/controlled.

16. Palynology CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING THINGS

● The scientific study of living and 1. Organization
fossil spores and pollen grains. ● Biological Hierarchy [atom →
molecule → organelles (eukaryotes
17. Ethnobotany & prokaryotes) → cell → tissues →
● A scientific study of the traditional organs → organism → population →
knowledge and customs of a ecosystem (a group of living
people concerning plants and their organisms that interact w/ each
medical, religious, and other other in a specific environment) →
economic uses. biosphere]

18. Forestry 2. Exchange of Energy with the

● Forest conservation and forest Environment
products (lumber). ● Plants and other organisms take in
and use energy.

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● Photosynthesis - the biological 5. Reproduction

process that includes the capture of ● Plants form new individuals by
light energy and its asexual or sexual reproduction.
transformation into chemical ○ Asexual - clones
energy of organic molecules that Examples: fragmentation,
are manufactured from carbon budding, spore formation,
dioxide and water. and vegetative propagation.
● Cellular Respiration - the cellular ○ Sexual - shared traits from
process in which energy of parents
organic molecules is released for Example: pollination
biological work.
● Main Idea: This answers what type 6. Heredity
of energy plants use during ● DNA molecules transmit genetic
photosynthesis. information from one generation to
the next in plants and other
3. Interaction with the Environment organisms.
● Plants respond to stimuli in their ● Epigenetics - the study of how cells
environment. control gene activity without
○ Example: Venus Flytrap - changing the DNA sequence; traits
detects when there is an beyond genes.
insect and traps it. ○ Methylations - an example
of epigenetics that controls
4. Growth the expression of some
● Plants undergo growth and genes resulting in which
development. genes can or cannot be
● Root Growth and Gravity Example: expressed; can either
leaves follow the direction of the activate or shut down the
sunlight. expression of genes.
● Gravitropism
○ Also called Geotropism. 7. Evolution
○ Is related to auxin which ● Plants and other organisms evolve.
promotes cell elongation. ● Populations change or adapt to
○ This is also the growing survive in changing environments.
movement in response to
the downward pull of
gravity.
○ Negative Geotropism -
shoot grows away from
gravity.
○ Positive Geotropism - root
grows towards gravity.
○ The root Cap in the Root
Tip detects gravity.