Structural Organisation in Plants and Animals

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UNIT TWO

STRUCTURAL ORGANISATION IN PLANTS AND ANIMALS

The description of the diverse forms of life on earth was made only by observation - through naked eyes or later through magnifying lenses and microscopes. This description is mainly of gross structural features, both external and internal. In addition, observable and perceivable living phenomena were also recorded as part of this description. Before experimental biology or more specifically, physiology, was established as a part of biology, naturalists described only biology. Hence, biology remained as a natural history for a long time. The description, by itself, was amazing in terms of detail. While the initial reaction of a student could be boredom, one should keep in mind that the detailed description was utilized in the later day reductionist biology where living processes drew more attention from scientists than the description of life forms and their structure. Hence, this description became meaningful and helpful in framing research questions in physiology or evolutionary biology. In the following chapters of this unit, the structural organisation of plants and animals, including the structural basis of physiological or behavioural phenomena, is described. For convenience, this description of morphological and anatomical features is presented separately for plants and animals.

KATHERINE ESAU was born in Ukraine in eighteen ninety-eight. She studied agriculture in Russia and Germany and received her doctorate in nineteen thirty-one in United States. She reported in her early publications that the curly top virus spreads through a plant via the food-conducting or phloem tissue. Dr. Esau's Plant Anatomy published in nineteen fifty-four took a dynamic, developmental approach designed to enhance one's understanding of plant structure and had an enormous impact worldwide, literally bringing about a revival of the discipline. The Anatomy of Seed Plants by Katherine Esau was published in nineteen sixty. It was referred to as Webster's of plant biology - it is encyclopediac. In nineteen fifty-seven she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, becoming the sixth woman to receive that honour. In addition to this prestigious award, she received the National Medal of Science from President George Bush in nineteen eighty-nine.

When Katherine Esau died in the year nineteen ninety-seven, Peter Raven, director of Anatomy and Morphology, Missouri Botanical Garden, remembered that she 'absolutely dominated' the field of plant biology even at the age of ninety-nine.

Five point one. The Root Five point two. The Stem Five point three. The Leaf Five point four. The Inflorescence Five point five. The Flower Five point six. The Fruit

Five point eight. Semi-technical Description of a Typical Flowering Plant

Five point nine. Description of Some Important Families

MORPHOLOGY OF FLOWERING PLANTS

Five point one. THE ROOT

Five point one point one. Regions of the Root

Five point two. THE STEM

Five point three point two Types of Leaves

Five point three point three Phyllotaxy

Five point four THE INFLORESCENCE

Five point five THE FLOWER

Five point five point one Parts of a Flower

Five point five point one point one Calyx

Five point five point one point two Corolla

Five point five point one point three Androecium

MORPHOLOGY OF FLOWERING PLANTS

Five point six THE FRUIT

Five point seven THE SEED

Five point seven point one Structure of a Dicotyledonous Seed

Five point seven point two Structure of Monocotyledonous Seed

MORPHOLOGY OF FLOWERING PLANTS

LOCALE

Five point nine. SOLANACEAE

Vegetative Characters

MORPHOLOGY OF FLOWERING PLANTS

Economic Importance

EXERCISES

Overview

The document serves as a comprehensive guide to the structural organization of plants and animals, with a focus on flowering plants. It presents a detailed examination of their morphology and anatomical features, emphasizing the importance of these descriptions in the fields of biological research and education.

Key Points

1The document describes the morphology and anatomy of flowering plants and animals
2It highlights the contributions of Katherine Esau to plant biology
3Structural features such as roots, stems, and leaves are detailed extensively
4Understanding these structures aids in the classification and study of living organisms
5The significance of this knowledge in framing research questions in biology is emphasized

Details

Category: Biology and Natural Sciences

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