Intro to Botany
Botany is the branch of biology that deals specifically with
the study of plants.
The Cranberry harvest in New Jersey.
Botanists study the structure, growth, reproduction,
metabolism, development, diseases, ecology, and
evolution of plants.
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/greenkids/plants-kids/
Plants exhibit all 7 characteristics of life
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•
•
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•
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Growth
Development.
Reproduction-Asexual & Sexual.
Obtain & use a source of Energy.
Adaptations – traits that aid in survival (over generations)
Respond to environment
Homeostasis-maintain a “steady state”.
• Organized-All living things are composed of a single cell
or cells.
Plant intelligence?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzQ_QeZ
jNOg&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mo
de=1&safe=active.
How to distinguish plants from animals?
Plants
• Manufacture their own
food by photosynthesis
• Cell structures- Rigid cell
wall, large central
vacuole, chloroplasts
• Indeterminate/Unlimited
growth and shapemeristematic tissue
(tissue containing actively
dividing cells) remain
active as long as plant
lives and environment
suitable
Animals
• Require food from plants
or other animals
• Cell structures- centrioles
(used in cell division)
• When an animals attains
certain size and form,
growth often ceases
Why study plants?
• Plants are fundamental to life on earth.
From single-celled
algae to the planet's
largest living
organism, they all
contribute to our
world's biodiversity.
Plus they have tasty
leaves and fruits
Plants are a fundamental to life on earth.
Plants generate:
• Oxygen
• Food
• Fiber
• Shelter
• Fuel
• Medicine
Plants absorb carbon dioxide, and convert it to sugar
and release oxygen through the process of
photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis
• Energy from sunlight is used to combine
carbon dioxide and water to produce
carbohydrates and oxygen
Sun’s
energy
Carbon dioxide + water
glucose + oxygen
Plants, Algae, Seaweeds, Cyanobacteria
Understanding plants is crucial
to the future of human society
A Better knowledge of plants will allow us to:
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Feed the world
Understand fundamental life processes
Utilize medicine and materials
Understand environmental changes
Lab #1- Growing Seed Packets
Create a Mini-Book on
The Importance of Plants
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Front Page (Title, Name, Colored Drawing)
Purpose #1 with colored drawing
Purpose #2 with colored drawing
Purpose #3 with colored drawing
Purpose #4 with colored drawing
Purpose #5 with colored drawing
Purpose #6 with colored drawing
Back Page – Your opinion on why it is important
to not destroy the forest.
Plants can be used to help
make medicines
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3
298315n&tag=mncol;lst;9
Toxic plants possible medicine
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5
969261n&tag=mncol;lst;5
Plant Structures
Three Main Organ Systems:
1. The Shoot System- (Stem, Leaves)
2. The Root System- (Roots)
3. The Sexual Reproductive System (Flower or Cones)
Oh Shoot!
1. The Shoot System:
Leaves- capture light and exchange gases with
the atmosphere while minimizing water loss.
Stems- support leaves and reproductive
structures and also transport sugars and water
throughout the plant.
Oh Root!
2. The Root System:
Roots- grow through the soil, anchoring the plant
and absorbing water and minerals.
Oh Reproductive System!
3. The Reproductive System:
Reproductive structures- produce egg and
sperm and may create protective structures
around the young embryo (flowers and cones).
Transporting Needed Materials
Vascular Plants- have a transport system to
get water up and sugars up and down the
plant. (Remember xylem and phloem)
Nonvascular Plants- do not have a transport
system but rely on simple diffusion and
osmosis to move materials throughout plant.
• Activity! Quiz Wiz, Vascular or NonVascular Plant. 1-10
Copyright © 2010 Ryan P. Murphy
• Answers! Quiz Wiz, Vascular or NonVascular Plant. 1-10
There are 4 major groups of land plants:
1. Bryophytes- plants such as mosses that
don’t have vascular systems and don’t
produce flowers or seeds.
2. Ferns (Pterophyta)- plants that contain
vascular systems but don’t produce flowers
and seeds.
3. Gymnosperms (Coniferophyta)- also
known as conifers, have vascular systems
and produce cones and seeds but they don’t
produce flowers.
FEMALE
MALE
4. Angiosperms (Anthophyta)- also known as
the flowering plants, have vascular systems and
produce both flowers and seeds. This group
can be divided further into 2 classes (monocots
and dicots)
Create a chart that visually shows how these 4 groups differ.
transport system
seeds
flowers
Bryophytes
Ferns
Gymnosperms
Angiosperms
X
X
X
X
X
X
Name that Plant (Bryophyte, Fern,
Gymnosperm, Angiosperm)
1-20.
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9-
#10-
#11
#12
#13
#14-
#15
#16
#17
No vascular tissue, No seeds, No flowers
#18
Vascular tissue, Seeds, and Flowers
#19
Vascular tissue, Seeds, No flowers
#20
Vascular tissue, No seeds, No flowers
Answers
#1- Bryophyte
#2- Angiosperms
#3- Gymnosperms
#4- Ferns
#5- Bryophyte
#6- Bryophyte
#7-Angiosperm
#8- Angiosperm
#9- Fern
#10- Gymnosperm
#11- Gymnosperm
#12- Bryophyte
#13- Angiosperm
#14- Gymnosperm
#15- Fern
#16 Angiosperm
#17- Bryophytes
No vascular tissue, No seeds, No flowers
#18- Angiosperms
Vascular tissue, Seeds, and Flowers
#19- Gymnosperms
Vascular tissue, Seeds, No flowers
#20- Ferns
Vascular tissue, No seeds, No flowers
Scientific Method
1. Observation and Question/Problem
2. Hypothesis
3. Experimentation
4. Analysis and Conclusion
Key Terms
Independent Variable- the factor you change, what
you are testing for
Dependent Variable- what happens as a result of
that treatment or condition, what you are measuring
Controlled Variables- constants
Experimental Group- receives some kind of
treatment or condition
Control Group- receives no treatment, used as a
comparison
Plant Experiments
A student was investigating the relationship between
different concentrations of substance X and the height of
bean plants. He started with six groups, each of which
contained the same number of bean plants with identical
heights. Conditions were kept the same except that
each group was watered with a different concentration of
substance X for a period of 2 weeks. Then the
concentration of substance X used in watering each
group of plants and the average height for each group of
plants were recorded by the students as follows.
Group A- 6%, 32.3 cm
Group B- 0%, 28.7 cm
Group C- 2%, 29.4 cm
Group D- 8%, 37.1 cm
Group E- 4%, 31.5 cm
Group F- 10%, 30.7 cm
1. What is the problem?
Does the concentration (%) of substance X
effect plant height?
2. What is an appropriate hypothesis
for this experiment?
If concentration of substance X effects plant
growth, than the larger the % of substance
X the taller the plant will grow.
OR
If a larger concentration of substance X is
given to plants, that the plants will grow
taller.
3. What was the independent variable?
Concentration (%) of substance X
4. What was the dependent variable?
Average height of the plants
5. What are the controlled variables?
Same type of plant, same temperature,
same amount of light, same amount of
water, etc.
6. What is the experimental group(s)?
2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% of substance X
7. What is the control group?
0% of substance X
8. What materials would be needed?
Plants of the same species and height,
Substance X in different %’s,
Rulers
9. Draw the lab set up for this experiment
10. Write down the steps that this individual
probably did to conduct their controlled
experiment?
1. Gather plants of same species & same height.
2. Group the plants into different groups and
specify the concentration of substance X each
group will be watered daily with for 2 weeks.
3. Water plants daily with specified concentration
of substance X for two week period.
4. Measure the height of the different plants and
calculate averages for each group of plants.
11. Create a data table and label headings.
11. Create a data table and label headings.
The Concentrations (%s) of Substance X effect on average plant height
Concentration (%) of Substance X
Group B
0%
Group C
2%
Group E
4%
Group A
6%
Group D
8%
Group F
10%
Avg. Plant Height (cm)
28.7 cm
29.4 cm
31.5 cm
32.3 cm
37.1 cm
30.7 cm
12. Graph the data on graph paper
provided. Make sure to title and label axes.
12. Graph the data on graph paper
provided. Make sure to title and label axes.
Average Plant Height (cm)
Since they were separate groups of plants,
they have to be treated as separate
categories. A bar graph is needed.
Concentration (% of Substance X)
13. What conclusions can be made?
Substance X is beneficial in increasing
average plant height up to 8% conc..
Higher than 8% and the product is not as
effective.
Too much fertilizer can be a bad
thing!!!!
In a different investigation, plants of the same species
and the same initial height were exposed to a constant
number of hours of light each day. The number of hours
per day was different for each plant, but all other
environmental factors were the same. At the conclusion
of the investigation, the final height of each plant was
measured. The following data was recorded:
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8 hours, 25 cm;
4 hours, 12 cm;
2 hours, 5 cm;
14 hours, 35 cm;
12 hours, 35 cm;
10 hours, 34 cm;
6 hours, 18 cm
14. What is the problem?
Does the number of hours of light effect
plant growth?
15. What is an appropriate
hypothesis for this experiment?
If the number of hours of light effects plant
growth, then plants given a lot of light will
grow very tall.
OR
If a plant has an increased amount of light,
then it will grow taller than other plants.
16.What was the independent variable?
Hours of light
17. What was the dependent
variable?
Final Height of the Plant (cm)
18. What are the controlled
variables?
Same type of plant, same initial height,
same amount of water, same light source,
same environmental conditions, etc.
19. What is the experimental group(s)?
Plants given a lot of light (over 10 hours of light)
20. What is the control group(s)?
Plants given little to regular amount of light
(2-8 hours)
21. What materials would be needed?
Plants of the same species and height,
Light Source on a Timer,
Rulers
22. Draw the lab set up for this experiment
23. Write down the steps that this individual
probably did to conduct their controlled
experiment?
1. Gather plants of same species & same height.
2. Specify the amount of light (in hours) each
plant will be exposed to daily for a month.
3. Each day expose the plant to a certain number
of hours of sunlight and keep all other factors
constant.
4. Measure the final height of the different plants.
24. Create a data table and label headings.
Amount of light(hours) and its effect on final plant height (cm)
Hours of Light
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Final Height of Plant (cm)
5 cm
12 cm
18 cm
25 cm
34 cm
35 cm
35 cm
12. Graph the data on graph paper
provided. Make sure to title and label axes.
25. Graph the data on graph paper
provided. Make sure to title and label axes.
Final Plant Height (cm)
Since they were separate plants, the plants
have to be treated as separate categories.
A bar graph is needed.
Amount of Light (hours)
26. What conclusions can be made?
The plants that were exposed to more light
grew taller than those that were not.
These plants preferred 10 hours of
sunlight, any additional hours does not
have a major effect on plant height.
Superplastichttp://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7364783n&tag=
mncol;lst;10
Superplastichttp://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7364783n&tag=
mncol;lst;10
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