User:Tapinquercus/sandbox

contents of 'textbook of general botany' part (5) of page.

I tried to avoid a list format of everything in the chapters but it is hard not to. Not linking some words that are very likely to be linked in what will be intro etc. Can I also just cite the content heading for citation?

Great depression biology relevance influence

Content

There are 35 chapters with two prefaces and an Index. Each chapter usually contains text describing plant features and phenomena for a certain topic. In general, the order that the organisms are presented in the book is the order with which the organisms are seen to be specialized with angiosperms having the highest specialization and green algae the lowest.

Prefaces:


 * Preface to the first edition: Authors have written the book drawing from their experiences teaching the elementary botany course in the University of Wisconsin. The working copy of textbook from the past three years has culminated in the first edition of the Textbook of General Botany.  The course is presented as a unit, the essential information without overburdening the students was strived for. Structure and function was kept for an elementary course. The plants and concepts in the book are intended to be familiar to the students, and difficult  terminology was kept to a minimum. The book chapters were written so that the could be studied out of order without much difficulty.


 * Preface to the third edition: From the feedback of authors, colleagues and students informed changes made, with extensive rewriting. The edition incorporates new discoveries and viewpoints without an increase in bulk, there is a new order of topics and there is some omitted material about what was considered unnecessary.

Chapters I. through VII. These describe and illustrate the various basic parts of the plant (roots, stems and leaves) and plant cells (cell walls, nucleus and cytoplasm). Cell functions and importance, root functions and zones, processes, primary and secondary growth, stem tissues and growth zones, stem forms, structure and functions of buds, Leaf structure and tissues, leaf development and leaf formations and variation.

'''Chapters VIII. through XII.''' Described within the chapters are as follows: Water importance and processes of movement through plants, behaviour of water, Chloroplasts and their function, plastids, conditions for photosynthesis, photosynthesis, chlorophyll, carbohydrates, proteins and essential chemicals, translocation, metabolism, growth, pigments, tropisms, embryonic cells, cell division and chromosomes.

(Physiological processes of water and food production in plants. Tropisms. The division of cells.)

Chapter XIII. Classification of plants, the taxonomy and characteristics of certain groups. Generally evolved taxa are grouped into four: Thallophytes (Fungi and Algae), Bryophytes (liverwort s and mosses), Pteridophytes (Ferns and similar organisms), Spermatophytes (seed plants).

'''Chapters XIV. through XXIV.''' Thallophytes and Bryophytes are described in detail, often by explaining their nature and distribution or occurrence, their structure, their formation and fusion of gametes. For bacteria in chapter XVIII, dormancy, economic aspects, nitrogen interactions and its biogeochemical cycle is described. Note that Blue-green algae (now called cyanobacteria) are not included and have their own chapter. The alternation of generations is described in the respective chapters on lichens, liverworts and mosses.

Chapter XXV. Explains the significance and process for the separation of chromosomes in meiosis and explains the significance of the fusion of gametes and the impact this has on the resulting organism.

'''Chapters XXVI. through XXIX.''' Pteridophytes and the Spermatophytes. The distribution, alternation of generations in detail, the structures and general life cycle are described for ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. The distinguishing features between gymnosperms and angiosperms is explained and also pollination and the development of seeds.

'''Chapters XXX. and XXXI.''' The nature and structure of seeds and fruits and their function is taught. The classification of fruits based on how the ovules mature, an in-depth look at the processes of germination and the dispersal of seeds and fruit is explained. The different floral arrangements of monocotyledons and dicotyledons are described, and the main families of plants are explained and named after a prominent example of each family, to avoid using Latin terminology.

'''Chapters XXXII. and  XXXIII.'''

Inheritance, variation and evolution are taught in these chapters. Elucidated is generally how these aforementioned terms work, how Mendel’s laws function and their application to live examples, chromosomes and genes and how these cause inheritance and variation, autopolypoidy, sex linkage and crossing over during meiosis and the behaviour of genes. Mutations are talked about briefly. Evolution is described with some basic facts and generalizations. The book then talks about the different proofs of evolution: similarity of structure and function in organisms, reproduction, acclimatization to abiotic factors, conflict of interests between organisms, coevolution & eusociality and natural selection.

'''Chapters XXXIV. and XXXV.'''

The geographic distribution of plants in North America chapter explains the underlying factors for this variation in distribution of plants and describes the different biomes that can be found there. The last chapter focuses on the economic importance of plants. This excludes bacteria, algae or fungi. The chapter looks at the crop value, medicinal value, and lumber value of plants while talking about a brief history of the pursuit of these values. Last is the description of weeds and types of plant diseases, how they spread and methods of control.