Botany – Introduction to Botany

 

Botany Cartoon.JPG

Cartoon created by:  Bradon Cohorn – Botany Student Fall 2010

 

I. The Study of Plants – Why everyone needs to know something about plants.

 

A. Plants, we can’t live without them!

                        1. Plants make up _______ of the total biomass on earth

                        2. Green organisms solely are capable of producing ________________

                        3. Plants convert the sun’s energy into forms vital to the existence of both

                        plant and animal life

            4. Plants remove _______________________________________ given

            off by all living organisms

 

B. What if all the plants died?

            1. Virtually all living organisms are totally dependent on green plants for

            their existence

            2. All the animals on land, in sea and in the air would soon starve

            3. Even if another energy source were found, animal life would suffocate

            within ____________________

 

C.  How has the explosion of the human population hurt plants?

            1. 

 

2. 

 

            3. 

 

            4. 

 

            5. 

 

            6. 

 

D. Beyond O2 and CO2, what else are plants good for?

            1.

 

            2.

 

            3.

 

            4.

 

            5.

 

            6.

 

            7.

 

E. What do Botanists do?

            1. __________________________________ – study of plant structure

            (especially internal structures)

            2. __________________________________ – study of ancient plant life

a.  ancient plant life can give us information about ancient

climates.

                        b.  Also, we can study traditional (plant-based) medicines to

                        develop new medicines.

            3. ______________________________________________ – study of

            plant functions

            4. ______________________________________________ – classifying

            plants

            5. ______________________________________________ – study of

            how & why plants are distributed where they are

            6. ______________________________________________ – study of the

            interaction of plants with one another and with their environment plant

            contribute to ecosystem

            7. ______________________________________________ – study of

            plant form & structure

            8. ______________________________________________  – the science

            of heredity

9.  ______________________________________________ – study of

cell structure & function

            10. ______________________________________________ – practical

            uses of plants & plant products