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Botany: The Scientific Study of Plants: Chapter 1: An Introduction To Botany

Botany is the scientific study of plants. Plants are essential to human survival and the global economy, providing food, materials, medicines and more. Botanists use the scientific method to study plant structure, function, evolution, importance and classification. They make observations, ask questions, form hypotheses, perform experiments, analyze results and draw conclusions. Plants are divided into roots, shoots and reproductive parts, and have organs like roots, stems, leaves and flowers. There are over 300,000 plant species that evolved from algae around 450 million years ago.

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179 views

Botany: The Scientific Study of Plants: Chapter 1: An Introduction To Botany

Botany is the scientific study of plants. Plants are essential to human survival and the global economy, providing food, materials, medicines and more. Botanists use the scientific method to study plant structure, function, evolution, importance and classification. They make observations, ask questions, form hypotheses, perform experiments, analyze results and draw conclusions. Plants are divided into roots, shoots and reproductive parts, and have organs like roots, stems, leaves and flowers. There are over 300,000 plant species that evolved from algae around 450 million years ago.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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BOTANY 101

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Botany

History:
Botany: the scientific study of plants
and their relationships
Plants affect virtually everything we
do in the world
Humans have relied on plants for
survival and pleasure for centuries
Plants are the basis for many
national and world economies
Here are some common uses for plants today:
Clothes and fabrics

String, rope and paper products

Lumber

Furniture

Medicines and explosives

Musical instruments and sports equipment

Resins, synthetics, paints, rubber, soaps,


oils, waxes, dyes, adhesives and plastics
Food and most of our drinks
Plants can also be problems:
clog rivers, crop pests, allergies and
poisons
The Unifying Theme of Botany
Plants share several important features:
1. Plants consist of organized parts
2. Plants exchange energy with their
environment
3. Plants respond and adapt to environment
4. Plants reproduce
5. All plants share a common ancestry
The Scientific Method
Botanists, like any scientists, use the
Scientific Method to answer various
questions in their field; such as:
How are plants constructed?

How do plants work?

How did plants get here?

Why are plants important to the world?

What exactly is a plant?


The Scientific Method

The scientific method is an investigative process used


to study the natural world and collect facts.
Steps:
1. Make Observations
2. Ask Questions
3. Form Hypotheses
4. Make predictions
5. Perform Experimentation (tests)
6. Analyze and Interpret results
7. Form a conclusion / revise if necessary
Qualities and traits of the scientific method!
- involves critical thinking at every step
- deductive reasoning (if . . . then logic)
- open mindedness
- comparisons
- objective vs. subjective
- quantitative vs. qualitative
- it is not foolproof
- must be testable
- must be falsifiable
- always adds new information
Also, some discoveries involve luck and
creativity.
Everyone uses the scientific method!

Observations

Questions Abduction

Hypotheses

Experiments Deduction

Observed result Expected result

Conclusion
Major Plant Structural Divisions
1. Roots = grows towards ground (positive gravitropism)
2. Shoots = grow towards the sky (negative gravitropism)
3. Reproductive

Major Plant Organs (vascular plants)


1. Roots
2. Stems
3. Leaves
4. Flowers (in flowering plants only)

Plant Taxonomy (identification)


Mainly vascular plants dominate our ecology
>than 300,000 species
Represent a closely related line of descent
Evolved from algae ~ 450 million years ago (mya)

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