What is Plant Biology? Chapter 1

Plant Taxonomy

(also called plant systematics) is the oldest branch of plant study. It is the botanist who specialize in the identification, naming, and classifying of plants. Many individuals name plants and tried to categorize them, but the system that was most adopted was founded by the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus (1701-1778)

Cell Biology

(previously called cytology) is the science of cell structure and function

Genetics

id the science of heredity and was founded by the Austrian monk Gregor Mendel (1822-1884) and performed his classic experiments with pea plants

Law

if a theory is tested enough for validation, it can eventually became a law

Variable

is changed in all experiments

Plant Physiology

is concerned with the function of plants. Modern plant physiologists have been able to isolate and clone genes. They also found how plants move water and food throughout the system of the plant. Plant physiology was established by J. B. van Helmont (1577-1644) a Flemish physician and chemist

Plant Anatomy

is concerned with the internal structure of plants. it is used to help us find clues to the past. Plant Anatomy can also be used to solve crimes and to find relationships between types of plants

Science

is simply a search for knowledge of the natural world and is divided into areas that include human study, plant, animal, and can be broken down even farther into various categories. it is distinguished from other fields of study by several features -observation -recording -organization -classification of facts and it involves what is done with the facts

Hypothesis

is simply a tentative, unproven explanation for something that has been observed. The hypothesis must then be tested and must be repeated and capable of being duplicated by others in order to be found valid.

Plant Geography

is the study of how and why plants are distributed where they are. This was not developed until the 19th century

Paleobotany

is the study of plant fossils

Botany

is the study of plants and seems to have had its origins with the Stone Age people who tried to modify their surroundings and feed themselves.

Plant Morphology

is the study of the form and structure of plants. This was also developed during the 19th century. This involves the form and life cycles of plants

Plant Ecology

is the study of the interaction of plants with one another and with their environment. This was also developed in the 19th century.

Theory

several related principles may lead to a theory when tested enough for variation

Principle

the accumulation or formulation of useful generalizations

Control

the control is unchangeable, the constant

Data

when a hypothesis is tested, the bits of information gathered is called data