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