Biology 1A    Aug 27, 1998
Lecture 1 - Introduction to Botany

Page Contents :

• Reading Assignment
• Overview of Lecture
• Overview of Lab
• Lecture Outline
• Vocabulary
• Study Questions

Stern: Chapter 1
Foskett: Differences between Plants and Animals (not yet available)

Overview of Lecture:

The nature of this course.
What is a Plant?
Plants are not "green animals".
Plants are vitally important to life on earth.
Plants are vitally important to human existence.

Overview of Lab:

(A bullet indicates a handout.)
• Questionnaire
• Syllabus
  Laboratory safety
  Keeping things clean
  Assign microscopes
• Parts of the microscope
  Microscope cleaning / use
  Wet mounts, Sectioning, & Leaf peels
  Making lab drawings
  Magnification

A. All life was once classified as "plant" or animal".
1. Essentially, plants were "things that didn't move around". This is why biology is traditionally divided between Botany and Zoology.
2. Problem: Sponges were considered plants (but reproduce, develop, & are organized like animals).
3. Problem: What about Euglena? It is unicellular, moves, and has chloroplasts.
B. Plants defined by multicellularity & non-motility.
1. This removes the protists to a separate kingdom.
2. Problem: Fungi were still considered plants.
C. Plants defined by the presence of chlorophyll
1. This removes the fungi.
2. Problem: The bacteria don't fit with any of the four kingdoms.
D. Plants defined as eukaryotes with chlorophyll
1. Eukaryotes have nucleus and internal membranes; this excludes the bacteria.
2. Problem: Where do we put algae? They include uni- & multicellular forms.
E. Plants defined by presence of chlorophyll a & b
1. This removes most algae, but not the green algae.
2. This results in Five Kingdoms
3. The four characteristics defining plants:
     (a) eukaryotic, (b) multicellular, (c) photosynthetic, (d) chlorophyll a & b

A. Plants are autotrophic while animals are heterotrophic.
B. Plants do not reproduce like animals do.
1. Plants do not segregate a germ line.
2. Plants often reproduce asexually.
3. Sexuality in plants is not well-defined.
4. Plants have an alternation of generations.
C. Plants have different survival strategies from animals.
1. Plants cannot run away from predators or harsh conditions.
2. Plants have no immune system to combat infection.
D. Plant development is not all embryonic, as it is in animals.
1. Animals produce their cells and structures during embryogenesis; cell fate is fixed.
2. Plants produce their cells and structures throughout their life; cell fate is reversible.

A. Plants are the primary source of food production for all life on earth.
B. Plants create the terrestrial environment.
C. Plants replenish atmospheric oxygen, which is necessary for all animal life.

A. Plants as food
1. Fruits, vegetables, nuts
2. Grains - bread, pasta, beer
3. Food for livestock and fish
4. Oils, starch, sugar
5. Tea, coffee, cola, wine
6. Herbs and spices
B. Plants as clothing and shelter
C. Plants as fuel - wood and fossil fuels
D. Plants as medicine
E. Cultural and religious importance of plants

• What are some problems of dividing all life into just two kingdoms (Plants and Animals)?
• Why is Euglena a problematic organism to classify? Into which kingdoms could it be placed? What characters support each placement?
• At various times, the organism Euglena has been placed into different kingdoms based on its traits. Consider the following traits, and identify the kingdom for which each is characteristic.
  makes own food
  moves around
  unicellular
  chlorophyll
• Identify two characteristics which distinguish bacteria from eukaryotes.
• What are the five kingdoms? What four charactersitics define plants in the five kingdom system?
• Why were sponges once classified as plants? How do we know they are not?
• Explain the word heterophylly. How is heterophylly useful to plants?
• What is the difference between autotrophic and photosynthetic?
• Plants are different from animals in all of the following ways EXCEPT:
  a) manufacture own food
  b) do not segregate a germ line
  c) reproduce sexually
  d) have determinate growth
• What are two ways that plants may deal with infection?
• Describe four ways that plants contribute to human culture or survival.
• In lecture, we learned that both cotton and linen come from plants. Are plants necessary for the production of wool from sheep? Are plants important for the manufacture of nylon from petroleum? Explain.