Introduction to Botany

What is botany?
Botany is the study of plants. Areas of botany: Plant Anatomy and Physiology Plant Taxonomy Plant Geography Plant Ecology Plant Genetics Plant Cell Biology Economic Botany Ethnobotany

GENERALIZED PLANT CYCLE

Plants also grouped according to how they obtain water. Vascular plants have tube-like structures that transport water from the roots to the leaves. Nonvascular plants can only absorb water through their roots.

Nonvascular plants

Nonvascular plants or bryophytes are found in moist areas because they do not have long roots to absorb water. They are usually less than 20 cm tall.

Three classes: Mosses Liverworts Hornworts

Figure 226 A Cladogram of Plant Groups

Figure 22-7 The Diversity of Plants

Plants also grouped according to how they obtain water. Vascular plants have tube-like structures that transport water from the roots to the leaves. Nonvascular plants can only absorb water through their roots.

Vascular Plants Two categories: Gymnosperms bear seeds in cones; pine trees Angiosperms (Flowering) largest category- bear seeds in flower

Angiosperms

Commonly called flowering plants Two types: monocots one seed leaf dicots two seed leaves

Fruit ripened ovary of a flower Includes trees, grasses, and shrubs

FIRST PLANTS

Oldest fossils (450 million years) show that earliest plants were similar to todays mosses Early plants depended on water for reproduction Over time plants evolved adaptations that allowed them to reproduce without water and also to exist in a wide range of terrestrial environments.

ORIGINS IN WATER 1. First plants evolved from multicellular green algae. 2. These algae have the size, color, appearance of plants 3. Reproductive cycles of algae like plants 4. Cell wall and pigments of algae identical to plants