Overview

As a background to your study of plant biology, this chapter sets the stage. You can use the site in conjunction with your textbook in order to meet several objectives including 1) enjoying the excitement of learning on the web, 2) the ability to look in more detail at topics of interest to you, and 3) testing your understanding of the basic concepts of the plant biology by working through web exercises.

Outline

  1. Understanding the scientific method.
  2. Identifying major contributors to the development of plant biology.
  3. For historical perspective, look at herbal medicine, which today is "new," but is rooted in the science of yesterday.
  4. Introducing the major disciplines in plant science.
  5. Key words and glossaries.
  6. Activities: Put your knowledge to the test.

Begin the Quest!

1. Understanding the scientific method

The scientific method is the way in which scientists logically solve problems and come to understandings about the physical world. Regardless of the discipline, all scientists use certain steps to systematically investigate and reach conclusions. In some disciplines the process is more descriptive, such as using visual observations, and in others it is more experimental, gathering numerical data. But regardless of how data is gathered and organized, all scientists use the following process:

STEP 1. STATING THE PROBLEM

STEP 2. RESEARCH THE PROBLEM

STEP 3. FORMING THE HYPOTHESIS

STEP 4. TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS

STEP 5. REACHING CONCLUSIONS

STEP 6. COMMUNICATION FOR CONFIRMATION

url: http://idt.net/~nelsonb/bridgman.html

• Essay on the scientific method by Nobel prize-winning physicist, Percy Bridgman. From "Reflections of a Physicist," 1955. From a "doer" of science, a perspective on just what the scientific method is. This essay provides a candid and informal conversation from a noted scientist.

url: http://www.pburg.k12.nj.us/PHS/mcosgrove/method.htm

• Interactive activities to help you conquer the fundamentals with a test to check your knowledge. Fun to use interactive introduction to the scientific method.

url: http://gibbs.lgc.peachnet.edu/Chm101/SciMethod/sld001.htm

• A more advanced slide presentation on the scientific method.

url: http://pc65.frontier.osrhe.edu/hs/science/hsimeth.htm

• Have fun applying the scientific method to a "non-science" problem and see the steps used in the scientific method become real.

url: http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/SciProjInter.html

• Detailed help in understanding the steps used in the scientific method with an example of a science project taken step by step. Also included is help in writing a research paper.

url: http://buglady.clc.uc.edu/biology/bio104/paper.htm

• Provides the steps for solving a scientific problem and writing a paper using the scientific method correctly.

2. Identifying major contributors to the development of plant biology.

Behind the great advances in science are the people who make them and the times in which they lived. To understand the march of scientific time-and particularly that of the plant sciences-and the "botanical greats," access the following timelines, catalogues, and our "Gallery of Great Plant Scientists" from 371 BC until today.

url: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/lzone/greats/scientists.shtml

• Science Timeline - "BBC's Greats of Science"

url: http://www.stlcc.cc.mo.us/fp/users/kkiser/history.page.htm

• Science Timeline - "History of Microbiology"

url: http://huntington.org/BotanicalDiv/Timeline.html

• Science Timeline: "Plant Trivia"

url: http://library.utmb.edu/portraits/portlist.htm

• Moody Medical Library, University of Texas Medical Branch, "Online Portrait Gallery," provides pictures of famous scientists.

url: http://www.bbc.net.uk/education/local_heroes/biogs.shtml

• BBC's "Local Heroes" portrays Britain's most famous scientists

url: http://wwwihm.nlm.nih.gov/http://wwwihm.nlm.nih.gov/

• Images from the History of Medicine

url: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/GrandLat/people/sharples/theophr.htm

§ Get To Know: Theophrastus (371-287 BC). Considered the first botanist, Theophrastus wrote some 200 botanical works of which only two survive today. This site is dedicated to collecting and translating his works.

url: http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/Catalog/FilesOLD/helmont.html

§ Get To Know: Johannes Baptista van Helmont (1579-1644). Personal background as well as scientific achievements. Complete description with personal details.

urls: http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/leeuwenhoek.html

http://www.sciences.demon.co.uk/wav-spd.htm

http://www.bbc.net.uk/education/local_heroes/biogs/leeuwenh.shtml

• Get To Know: Antoni van Leuwenhoek (1632-1723). Account of this unlikely scientist from Holland with no higher education. He contributed to science through his diligence, curiosity and skill. He was the first to observe bacteria. He invented some 500 microscopes thus opening the door of microscopic life to science. This site shows the application of the scientific process and its human dimensions and includes details of the most famous of Leuwenhoek's experiments along with his detailed notes

urls: http://www.linnean.org.uk/clin.htm

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/linnaeus.html

• Get To Know: Carolus Linnaeus (1706-1778). From the Linnean Society of London, a description of his life and times.

urls: http://www-hpcc.astro.washington.edu/mirrors/MendelWeb/MWtime.html

http://zippy.sonoma.edu/kendrick/projects/anthro201/bio/

• Get To Know: Gregory Mendel (1822-1884). Timeline details the history and science of the Father of Genetics. Read his biography with personal details that put his discoveries in a new perspective.

urls: http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~rsauzier/Darwin.html

http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/nathist/darwin/darwin.html

• Get To Know: Charles Darwin: (1809-1882). A biographical overview with hands on activities to make the father of the theory of evolution come alive to you.

url: http://www.windows.umich.edu/people/today.html

• Links to learn about today's prominent scientists

3. For historical perspective, look at herbal medicine, which today is "new" but is rooted in the science of yesterday.

Need a remedy to enhance your memory? Try Ginkgo biloba. Need help for depression? Use St. John's wort. The remedies of 1200 AD? Yes...and today! So the world of herbals turns! Power or pretend? Healer or hoax? You decide. To help you, go to this array of articles.

url: http://cgi.pathfinder.com/drweil/herbal/medchest/index.html

• Enter the "Herbal Medicine Chest," select a bottle and find what it cures. Interactive site with information deemed "reliable."

url: http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/1998/dom/981123/cover1.html

• This informative article covering all aspects of herbal medicines with links to others provides fast paced reading and an overview of herbal medicine today.

url: http://cgi.pathfinder.com/drweil/

• Interactive source of guidance on herbal medicine with features such as "Today's Poll," "Ask your question," and "Today's Special" including a self-help section. Deemed a reliable resource that brings common sense to this field of great interest. Ask Dr. Weil your question. Dr. Weil is probably the most noted American herbalist. Use his web site to ask him questions - and check out his answers to the "daily question." Also, participate in "Today's Poll."

4. Introducing the major disciplines in plant science.

If you want to have a career in the plant sciences, what areas might you study? Which of these areas do you think is more descriptive and which more experimental?

urls: http://recruit.sciencemag.org/jobalerts.shtml

http://www.aspp.org/pc/cell.htm

http://www.aspp.org

http://www.usda.gov/opportun.htm

http://www.nature.com/jobs/index.html

• Look at the "Job Search" sections of science magazines to see the types of job openings there are in various aspects of plant biology. Does the range of jobs surprise you?

urls: http://www.botany.org/bsa/ajb/index.html

http://www.aspp.org/pc/cell.htm

http://www.nature.com/jobs/index.html

• "American Journal of Botany"; "The Plant Cell"; and "Nature" are a few of the major journals that you can read to further your knowledge of current discoveries in plant biology.

url: http://www.usda.gov

• Various US government agencies utilize expertise in many areas of plant biology. The US Department of Agriculture is just one of them. This site offers news and information, information about USDA, various agencies of the government with links, as well as career opportunities.

5. Key words and glossaries

urls: http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/comindx.html

http://www.xnet.com/~blatura/skep_1.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html

http://recruit.sciencemag.org/jobalerts.shtml

• Look up new vocabulary in these specialized glossaries.

6. Activities: put your knowledge to the test

url: http://buglady.clc.uc.edu/biology/bio104/sci_meth.htm

• Use the scientific method to solve a problem. This site provides a picture and requires that you figure out what is going on by observation, questioning, predicting, and testing your conclusions. Use the scientific method to logically solve the problem presented - and have fun at the same time seeing just how well you observe and question what you see! Also, good vocabulary site.

Steps in the Scientific Method

Enter your observations for each step here.

#1. Make observation

 

#2. Form hypothesis

 

#3. Test hypothesis

 

#4. Draw conclusions

 

urls: http://www.unc.edu/~cebradsh/

http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/rosenthal/cancer/

• Use the above sites to identify the herbal medicine and its deemed "cures."

Herbals

Cure for what?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

urls: http://www.inform.umd.edu/PBIO/PBIO/sp98/lec4.html

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hort/bio.html#structure

http://botany.ru.ac.za/Scifest/anat.htm

• Anatomy and Morphology

urls: http://botany.ru.ac.za/Scifest/plantphy.htm

http://intl.plantphysiol.org/

http://biomedical.annualreviews.org/contents-by-date.15.shtml

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hort/bio.html#physiology

http://aspp.org/links.htm

• Physiology

urls: http://biomedical.annualreviews.org/contents-by-date.15.shtml

http://www.nal.usda.gov/bic/

• Molecular Biology

urls: http://www.sp2000.org

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hort/bio.html#diversity

http://botany.ru.ac.za/Scifest/linneaus.htm

• Taxonomy and Systematics

urls: http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/virtdept/resources/contents.htm

http://www.mobot.org/MBGnet/biome/

• Geography

urls: http://www.gene.com/ae/RC/genetics.html

http://www.ems-us.org

• Genetics

url: http://botany.ru.ac.za/Scifest/ecophys.htm

• Biodiversity and Ecology

urls: http://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/mineralogie/palbot1.html

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibit/exhibits.html

• Paleobotany

urls: http://www.tnc.org

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hort/bio.html#environment

http://www.euronet.nl/users/mbleeker/suriname/suri-eng.html

• Ethnobotany

urls: http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/rosenthal/cancer/info/infosheets.html

http://www.unc.edu/~cebradsh/

• Alternative Medicine

urls: http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/courses/training.html

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/webgarden.html

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hort/plantlist.html

• Horticulture

• Using information on the major disciplines in plant biology, describe each of the areas listed below.

Areas of Plant Biology

Describe this Discipline

Anatomy and Morphology

 

Physiology

 

Molecular Biology

 

Taxonomy and Systematics

 

Geography

 

Genetics

 

Biodiversity and Ecology

 

Paleobotany

 

Ethnobotany

 

Pathology

 

Ecology

 

Alternative Medicine

 

Horticulture