Introduction to Botany
Sycamore Tree
Botany Unit 1
Chapter 1
Camouflage bark turns white
What is Botany?
• Botany
– the scientific study of plants
– AKA “plant biology”
• Botanists study:
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Origin
Diversity
Structure
Internal process of plants
Relationships with other organisms
Relationships with nonliving physical environment
Types of Botanists
• Bryologists – study mosses
• Agronomists – study field crops and soils
• Horticulturists – study ornamental plants,
fruits, and vegetable crops
• Forester – study forest conservation and forest
products
• Economic Botanists – study plants with
commercial importance
Plants provide
• Oils and lubricants
• Perfumes and
fragrances
• Dyes
• Paper
• Lumber
• Waxes
• Fibers
• Rubber and other
elastics
• Resins
• Poisons
• Cork
• Medicines
• Foods & Spices
Only 330,000 different species of plants known
– Only 5,000 evaluated for potential usefulness
Spices & Herbs
• Spices – the barks,
roots, seeds, or fruits of
plants from tropical
regions
– Uses:
• Ginger to treat diabetes
• Cinnamon oil – to treat
toothaches
• Herbs – the leaves of
plants from temperate
regions
Taxol
• One of the most
effective drugs against
cancer
• Obtained from the bark
of the pacific yew
7 Characteristics of Living Things
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Complex organization (made up of 1+ cells)
Metabolism - Take in and use energy
Responsiveness - respond to environmental stimuli
Growth
Reproduce (sexually or asexually)
Contain Genetic Information - Deoxyribonucleic Acid
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DNA is the molecule that transmits genetic information
from one generation to the next
7. Evolve – change as a population/adapt to survive in
changing environments
Do plants do all of these things?
12 Levels of Organization
1. Atoms –the smallest particle of an element that
possesses the properties of that element
2. Molecule – 2 or more atoms
3. Macromolecule – ex. Proteins, nucleic acids,
lipids
4. Organelle – “little organs” of cells
5. Cell – basic functional and structural unit of life
6. Tissue – associations of cells that perform
specific functions
See page 9
12 Levels of Organization
7. Organ –functional units that perform specific roles
8. Organism – distinct living entities
9. Population- a group of the same species that live in
the same area at the same time
10. Community – all the populations of different
organisms that live and interact within an area
11. Ecosystem – a community together with its non-living
environment
12. Biosphere – Earth’s collective ecosystems & their
relationships with Earth’s physical environment
Taxonomic Categories
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Dumb Kids Prefer Candy Over Fresh Green Salad
Taxonomical Organization
Domain
Eukarya
Kingdom
Protista
Kingdom
Fungi
Kingdom
Plantae
Kingdom
Animalia
Domain
Eubacteria
Domain
Archaea
Kingdom
Bacteria
Kingdom
Archaea
Major Phyla of the Plant Kingdom
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Phylum Anthophyta (Angiosperms)
Phylum Confiferophyta (Conifers)
Phylum Ginkgophyta (Ginkgos)
Phylum Gnetophyta (Gnetophytes)
Phylum Cycadophyta (Cycads)
Phylum Pterophyta (Ferns)
Phylum Lycopodiophyta (Club Mosses/Quillworts)
Phylum Bryophyta (Mosses)
The Scientific Method
Ask a Question/Make an Observation
Hypothesis
Research
Experiment
Analyze
Support or Refute
Communicate Results
An experiment must have a control
• Variables – factors that are changed
– Examples:
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Time
Color
Size
Temperature
• Controls
– Factors that are the same for both experiments
Controlled vs. Uncontrolled
Experiments
• Controlled experiment –(preferred)
– Has only 1 variable
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Main experiment – conditions are altered in one way
Controlled experiment - an experiment that is identical to the
main experiment in all respects except that conditions are not
altered
• Uncontrolled experiment
– Has more than 1 variable