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Plant Biology & Plant Biotechnology

Introduction

The study of plant sciences which is known as Botany has various classes of

organisms like algae, fungi, bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms. Itgives a broad understanding of the structure, growth, reproduction, metabolism, development, diseases, chemical properties, and evolutionary relationships among taxonomic groups. Thestudy of plant sciences is correlated with efforts to identify edible, medicinal and poisonous

 plants, making it one of the oldest sciences. Today botanists study over 550,000 species ofliving organisms.

The term Botany comes from !reek  "#$%&', meaning  pasture, grass, fodder , perhaps viathe idea of a livestock keeper needing to know which plants are safe for livestock to eat.

Scope and importance of botany

(s with other life forms in biology, plant life can be studied from different perspectives, fromthe molecular , genetic  and  biochemical  level through organelles,  cells,  tissues, organs, individuals, plant populations, and communities of plants. (t each of these levels a botanistmight be concerned with the classification )taxonomy*, structure )anatomy and morphology*,or function ) physiology* of plant life.

+istorically all living things were grouped as animals or plants, and Botany coveredall organisms not considered animals. ome organisms included in the field of botany are

no longer considered to belong to the plant kingdom  - these include  bacteria  )studied in bacteriology*, fungi  )mycology* including lichenforming fungi )lichenology*, nonchlorophyte algae  ) phycology* and viruses  )virology*. +owever, attention is still given tothese groups by botanists, and fungi )including lichens*, and  photosynthetic  protists areusually covered in introductory botany courses.

The study of plants is vital because they are a fundamental part of life on /arth, whichgenerates the oxygen, food, fibres, fuel and medicine that allow humans and other life formsto exist. Through photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that in largeamounts can affect global climate. (dditionally, they prevent soil erosion and are influentialin the water cycle. ( good understanding of plants is crucial to the future of human societies

as it allows us to

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• 1roduce food to feed an expanding population

• 2nderstand fundamental life processes

• 1roduce medicine and materials to treat diseases and other ailments

• 2nderstand environmental changes more clearly

1aleo botanists study ancient plants in the fossil record. It is believed that early in the/arth3s history, the evolution of photosynthetic plants altered the global atmosphere of theearth, changing the ancient atmosphere by oxidation.

Algology

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy, Director, Krishnamurthy Institute of Algology, hennai

(lgology has now become a very valuable discipline as more and more applications of algaeand their modes of life become unearthed. The utility of algae in day to day life, in food

 production, in the manufacture of industrial chemicals and in pollution control is nowrecogni4ed universally. urther, algae are used as experimental organisms in the study ofsuch fundamental aspects of biology as photosynthesis, respiration and growth, in bioassaytechni6ues and in biotechnology. 7onsidering all these, (lgology should be given a veryhigh priority in biological research. There are numerous eukaryotic algae which are of greaterimportance and economic significance. Their potential as sources of food, feed, rarechemicals and energy, is yet to be reali4ed. (lgal farming, a modern concept, is yet to betaken up on a field scale.

Prof. !. !engasamy, Director , entre for Ad"anced Study in Botany, hennai.

Production & utili#ation of ommercial sea $eeds

The efficacy of eaweed 8i6uid ertili4ers )8s* obtained from  Kappaphycus alvarezii,Sargassum and Ulva for the growth and yield of certain crops like paddy, ground nut, chilly,

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greens and marigold was made under field trial. The 8s were also analy4ed for macro and

micro nutrients as well as 1lant !rowth 9egulators like (uxin, !ibberellin and 7ytokinin.

The brown algal by products like :eaweed ;rganic <anure= and :;rganic ix= derived from

Sargassum sp. developed by a seaweed based company at 9anipet, Tamil >adu is assessed

for their nutrients and microbial populations in order to evolve strategy for rapiddegradation. Two compounds successfully isolated from the :eaweed ;rganic <anure

inhibited the growth of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae causing leaf blight disease of paddy.

%erbal Botany

+erbal drugs are potential for human beings . 1lant tissue culture is an innovative area where

drugs can be produced in cell cultures in fermentors without disturbing the biodiversity of the

country. Biofertili4ers are more productive and pollution free fertili4ers which will boost the

yield of several crops of the country.

Prof. !aaman, plant scientist, entre for Ad"anced Study in Botany, hennai.

The 7entre for +erbal ciences )7+* at the 2niversity of <adras, along with

9amoni 9esearch oundation )99*, 7hennai has invented a new herbal drug for curing the

 pandemic swine flu. The drug, developed from iddha and (yurveda preparations, is named

as 3(?29/<3. The scientists behind the discovery of the medicine have claimed that they

have cured @0 patients contracted by +@>@ viruses and A00 people with other influen4a

diseases

Prof Dr !aaman, plant scientist and irector of 7+ and Dr K Balasubramanian,

organic chemist and pharmacologist and 7/; of 99, the pioneers in the research team,

have said that the new product would be the first drug in the world developed from herbalsource for such dreaded virus prevention

enetics, 'olecular Biology And D(A )echnology*

  The study deals with an overall knowledge of the various facets of genetics, the

transmission of hereditary characters, <endelian concepts and the variations in the

inheritance pattern. It also covers the organisation ,transmission and function of the genetic

information in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The main role of >( molecules, their precision

in replication, transmission and regulation . The variations evolved due to change in

chromosomal numbers referred as polyploidy ,and point mutations .It also covers themodern techni6ues of manipulating >(, to produce recombinants.

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'edicinal Botany*

It highlights the role of <edicinal plants in healthcare .There are different systems

of traditional medicines which include (llopathic, (yurvedic, 2nani and +omeopathic the

study of various plants of medicinal importance, pharmaceutical importance, active

compounds and standardi4ation of herbal products and formulation .It also emphasises the

need for documentation and standardi4ation of these herbal drugs.

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+ermentation )echnology

<icroorganisms are capable of growing on a wide range of substrates and can

 produce a remarkable spectrum of products. The commercial exploitation of the biochemical

diversity of microorganisms has resulted in the development of the fermentation industry

and the techni6ues of genetic manipulation have given this wellestablished industry the

opportunity to develop new processes and to improve existing ones. Biofermentation

technology makes it possible to grow a number of microbes in large tanks and, in a matter of

days, a large 6uantity can be produced. The technology has now become highly advanced and

much more accessible. <any studies indicate that the chemical nature of fermentation

technology is pure. (pplication of recombinant >( technology to the development of

improved strains for the production of secondary metabolites and antibiotics improves the

yield. The discovery of several global and pathway specific secondary metabolism regulatory

genes has opened the way to a new means of increasing yields.

n"ironmental Biotechnology

/nvironmental biotechnology can simply be described as the optimal use of nature, in

the form of plants, animals, bacteria, fungi and algae, to produce renewable energy, food and

nutrients in a synergistic integrated cycle of profit making processes where the waste of each

 process becomes the feedstock for another process. It means advancement of smallscale

agroecological farming systems and technology in order to achieve food security, climate

change mitigation, climate change adaptation. /nvironmental biotechnology has been shown

to play a significant role in agroecology in the form of 4ero waste agriculture  and most

significantly through the operation of over @5 million  biogas digesters worldwide.

Bioremediation is a cleanup technology that uses naturally occurring microorganisms to

degrade ha4ardous substances into less toxic or nontoxic compounds. It deals with large

scale sewage treatment, biogas production, xenobiotic degradation, reclamation of pollutedsoil, biodegradation of wastes, biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons.

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)issue culture

  Tissue culture deals with the culture techni6ues such as selection of explants,

isolation, media preparation and sterili4ation, inoculums and growth of the rootlets and

shootlets. ifferent types of culture such as meristem culture, callus culture, somatic

embryogenesis have been highlighted.

'icro techni-ue

<icro techni6ue refers to the study of microscope )I.e.* light microscope, electron

microscope, scanning microscope, transmission electron microscope and. fixing and staining

techni6ues employed in plant studies.

ell biology

7ell biology is the study of the structure and functions of the cells. It is also calledcytology. It is microscopic and capable of independent existence. (ll living things are made

up of cells. The first reference on cell biology was made by Can wammer am in the year

@D5E. +e made an account of the red blood cells of frog. In @DD5, 9obert +ooke discovered

cells while examining a piece of cork under magnifying lenses.

%orticulture

The term +orticulture is derived from two 8atin words, F+ortusG meaning garden

and FcultureG meaning cultivation. +orticulture is one of the branches of Botany. It is the

science of growing flowers, fruits, vegetables H ;rnamental plants especially in gardens Horchards. <odern horticulture is defined as the science of production, processing H

merchandising of fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamentals, medicinal H aromatic plants.

1omology is the cultivation of fruits crops. ;lericulture refers to the cultivation of vegetable

crops. loriculture refers to the cultivation of plants which give economic flowers. !rowing

ornamental plants to decorate indoor H outdoor areas is called gardening. oliage plants,

flowering annuals biennials H perennials, climbers, succulents, cacti, palms, ferns etc. are

grown in gardens to have good scenery in these places. 8aying out of gardens in the interior

of houses H other buildings is called indoor gardening. 8aying out of garden in parks outside

the buildings H open places to imitate the natural scenery is called 8andscape gardening.

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(rboriculture !rowing tree species alone in specific location is called arboriculture.

pices are plant products used in cookery to season or flavour food. 1lantation crops -1lants

that are usually grown in large stretches of plants are called plantation crops. <edicinal H

(romatic plants which give active principles used in drugs are called medicinal plants.

Importance of +orticulture is that it provides more food per unit area than the agriculture.

+orticultural crops contribute to the national income by the way of foreign exchange viaselling horticulture products. rom India, horticulture products like fruits, vegetables, spices,

cut flowers, seeds, products of plantation crops, etc. are exported to other countries.

+orticultural crops need more intensive cultural practices so that they re6uire more number

of labours for cultivation. Thus horticultural crops generate ob opportunities to rural people.

+orticultural crops are more profitable than cereals. ruits have high calorific value.

+orticultural products are used as raw materials for several industries. ;rnamental plants and

flowering plants occupy a great position in the civili4ation. <ental problems cause unhappy

mood and depression in people. They can be treated with +orticultural Therapy by which

their attention is diverted to beautiful flowers H garden plants.

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cosystems are sustained by the biodiversity within them. Biodiversity is the fullscale of life

and its processes, including genes, species and ecosystems forming lineages that integrate

into a complex and regenerative spatial arrangement  of types, forms, and interactions.

/cosystems create biophysical feedback mechanisms between living ) biotic* and nonliving

)abiotic* components of the planet. These feedback loops regulate and sustain localcommunities, continental climate systems, and global biogeochemical cycles.

Phytogeography )from greek words phyto J plant and geography meaning also distribution*,

also called geobotany, is the branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic

distribution of  plant  species. 1hytogeography is concerned with all aspects of plant

distribution, from the controls on the distribution of individual species ranges )at both large

and small scales* , to the factors that govern the composition of entire communities and

floras.

)aonomy

7lassification of plants and its nomenclature is an important aspect to decipher the

floral resources and understand the rich diversity under the uniform code. It follows universal

author citation methodology and organisations which preserve the specimens. It also gives

information regarding legends like 7arl 8innaeus and Bentham and +ooker, 7ron6uist and

their contributions.

'icrobiology

<icrobiology gives an insight into modern biology. It deals with microbes and

microscopic forms of life. It focuses on the techni6ues of sterili4ation and isolation ofmicrobes, morphology and reproduction of bacteria and viruses. The significance and

usefulness of microbes lies in science, medicine and industriesK their beneficial and harmful

effects on human being and production of vaccines. It covers microbiology of drinking

water and waste water and purification of waste water.

 Plant physiology

1lant physiology is the study of function of plants. It explores the link between form

and function in plants. It defines plant water relations 1hotosynthesislight reaction, 7;L

assimilation, photorespiration 9espirationaerobic and anaerobic respiration. >itrogen

metabolismymbiotic and asymbiotc nitrogen fixation, amino acid synthesis, protein

synthesis 1hysiology of flowering , !rowth hormones. Mernalii4ation. /n4yme technology1urification of en4ymes, application of en4ymes in industry.

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mbryology

(ngiosperms are the highest evolved plants and forms the most important part of the present

vegetation. lower is the most beautiful part of these plants. The function of the flower is to

 produce fruit . These are closed seeded plants in which the seeds are enclosed in the fruit a

uni6ue feature of them. The seed encloses an embryo which remains protected by seed coat.

The reserve food materials is found either in the cotyledon of the embryo )pulses* or in the

endosperm )cereals* which generally surrounds the embryo. There are two groups of

angiosperms dicotyledons and monocotyledons based on the number of cotyledons in each

embryo )ie* Two and one respectively. eed is a complex structure which develops from the

ovule after the process of pollination and fertili4ation. The fertili4ed egg gives rise to embryo,

the ovule to the seed and ovary as a whole to the fruit. The embryo lies dormant in the seed

and the seed lies embedded in the fruit. Nhen seed germinates, the embryo grows into

seedling, which gradually converts into a mature plant. Thus, embryology is the study of

stamen, carpel, microsporogenesis, malegametophyte megasporogenesis, female

gametophyte, double fertili4ation, embryo formation )embryogenesis*, endosperm formation

and seed germination.

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(obel Pri#e /inners in Botany

The L00O >obel 1ri4es were awarded during @Oth irst (nnual >obel 1ri4e 7eremony, at+arvard3s anders Theatre..

BI0102 P!I3  umiaki Taguchi, ong !uofu, and Phang !uanglei of Qitasato2niversity !raduate chool of <edical ciences in agamihara, Capan, for demonstratingthat kitchen refuse can be reduced more than O0R in mass by using bacteria extracted fromthe feces of giant pandas.

9//9/>7/ <icrobial Treatment of Qitchen 9efuse Nith /n4yme1roducingThermophilic Bacteria rom !iant 1anda eces, umiaki Taguchia, ong !uofua, and

Phang !uanglei, eibutsukogaku Qaishi, vol. SO, no @L, L00@, pp. DAO. Uand abstracted inCournal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, vol. OL, no. D, L00@, p. D0L.V

9//9/>7/ <icrobial Treatment of ood1roduction Naste with Thermopile /n4yme1roducing Bacterial lora from a !iant 1anda Uin CapaneseV, umiaki Taguchi, ong !uofu,?asunori ugai, +iroyasu Qudo and (kira Qoikeda, Cournal of the Capan ociety of Naste<anagement /xperts, vol. @, no. L, L00A, pp. , SDEL.

)he 4556 (obel Pri#e /inners

BI0102 P!I3 was wawrded to 1rof. r. Cohanna /.<.+. van Bronswik  of /indhoven

2niversity of Technology, The >etherlands, for doing a census of all the mites, insects,spiders, pseudoscorpions, crustaceans, bacteria, algae, ferns and fungi .

9//9/>7/ +uis, Bed en Beestes U+ouse, Bed and BugsV, C./.<.+. van Bronswik, >ederlands Tidschrift voor !eneeskunde, vol. @@D, no. L0, <ay @A, @OSL, pp. EL5A@.+et tof, de <iten en het Bed Uust, <ites and BeddingV. C./.<.+. van BronswikMakblad voor Biologen, vol. 5A, no. L, @OSA, pp. LL5.(utotrophic ;rganisms in <attress ust in the >etherlands, B. van de 8ustgraaf, C.+.+.<.Qlerkx, C./.<.+. van Bronswik, (cta Botanica >eerlandica, vol. LS, no. L, @OSE, pp @L5E.( Bed /cosystem, C./.<.+. van Bronswik, 8ecture (bstracts @st Benelux 7ongress ofPoology, 8euven, >ovember 5, @OO, p. AD.

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)he 7889 (obel Pri#e /inners

The @OOD >obel 1ri4es were awarded at the Dth irst (nnual >obel 1ri4e 7eremony, at+arvard3s anders Theatre.

BI0102 r. 1aul Bosland, director of The 7hile 1epper Institute, >ew <exico tate2niversity, 8as 7ruces, >ew <exico, won the award for  breeding a spiceless alapeno chile

 pepper .

BI0102 (nders Barheim  and +ogne andvik of the 2niversity of Bergen, >orway,received the award for the tasty and tasteful report, /ffect of (le, !arlic, and oured 7ream on the (ppetite of 8eeches.

9//9/>7/ British <edical Cournal, vol. A0O, ec LA@, @OO, p. @DEO.

)he 7887 (obel Pri#e /inners

BIOLOGY : Robert Klark Graham, received the award for selector of seeds

and prophet of propagation, and for his pioneering development of the

Repository for Germinal Choice, a sperm bank that accepts donations only

from Nobellians and Olympians.

Dr. '.S.S$aminathan the (obel 1aureate of India

;n the occasion of Nobel eace ri!e award in @OS0, the laureate r. Norman "orla#g, said of r. waminathan The green revolution has been a team effort and

much of the credit for its spectacular development must go to Indian officials,

Organizations, Scientists and farmers. o!ever, to you, "r. S!aminathan, a great

deal of the credit must go for first recognizing the potential value of the #e$ican

d!arfs. ad this not occurred, it is %uite possible that there !ould not have been a

 green revolution in &sia.

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irst $orld %ood ri!e was awarded to r. waminathan in ;ctober @OES .

r. waminathan has been described by the &nited Nations 'nvironment rogramme as the 'ather of Economic Ecology .

&N'  asakawa /nvironment 1ri4e 8aureate was awarded for outstandingcontributions to the protection and management of the environment. (long with 7owinner a#l and (nne 'hrlich @OO, WL00,000 pri4e. 

(lbert 'instein Norld cience (ward was awarded by the Norld 7ultural 7ouncil

for research which has brought true benefit and well being to mankind, @OED

Karmaveer #raskaar >oble 8aureates, <arch, L00S was awarded by 7;>!;

7onfederation of >!;s.

)ndira Gandhi ri!e for eace, *isarmament and *evelopment  was

awarded for his outstanding contribution in the domain of plant genetics and ensuring food security to hundreds of millions of citizens in the developing !orld. This prestigious award honors those outstanding global citi4ens who have made asignificant contribution to humanity=s material and cultural progress. L000

The )ndian National +cience (cademy  awarded him <illennium cientist

(ward L00@, and (sutosh <ookeree <emorial (ward for @OOO-L000 for thecontribution to humanity=s material and cultural progress

%ar gobind Khorana

+ar gobind Qhorana was awarded nobel pri4e in @ODE for the discovery of theartificial synthesis of gene

A!! 0P)I0(S I( B0)A(2

Botany is one of the preferred choices to study in India. Botany focuses on theextensive scientific study of plants along with their structures, growth, use, and

 process of all forms of plant lifetheir evolution, ageing, decaying and death. ( personwho deals with the study of Botany is generally referred to as a Botanist. +is ob

involves comprehensive study of flora, which range from the minutest bacteria to thelargest tree. 7onsidering the current scenario, various factors like population

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explosion, pollution and so on are affecting the flora. Therefore, apart from indepthstudy of flora, a Botanist is also re6uired to explore the possible way out ofagricultural, horticulture and environment related issues. Thus career in Botany can behighly rewarding for those, who are allured with the aesthetic beauty of nature andflora.

(fter successful completion of graduation in Botany, one can work as biologicaltechnician, while a post graduate degree in the subect makes the person eligible to optfor a career in teaching or to take up research work in any prominent 2niversity.Besides, one can oin any reputed organi4ation as environment consultants, plantexplorers, ecologists, conservationists, 1ark rangerXorester, >ursery manager,Taxonomist, +orticulturist, !enetics, 1lant biochemist, <olecular biologist, 1lant

 pathologist, /nvironmental consultant, and arming consultant. ;ptions are not onlyconfined to India, numerous opportunities are also available in abroad as well.

Best :ob oriented courses in Botany and Biotechnology

The list of the courses are(gronomy (pplication of plant science to crop production./conomic botany tudy of plants of economic use or value.orestry orest management and related studies.+orticulture 7ultivated plants.1hytopathology 1lant diseases.1lant genetics !enetic inheritance in plants.1lant anatomy 7ell and tissue structure.

<icrobiology , Immunology Mirology (griculture (nimal +usbandry /cology oilscience and oil 7onservation Biostatistics <olecular Biology Biophysics1harmacology isheries

7ultivation of sea weeds 7are taking 1lants in glass houses

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+orticulture Botany 8ibrary

 

!ardening (gricultural economics

 

8andscape gardening

 /thno botany orestry

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+erbarium keeper Botanical garden ;lericulture

Needing <arine science

 

Nater plants collection <ounting process of plants +erbarium

eed bank 

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(6uarium (lgae collection

 

1lant culture !erminatin Botany collection <anager 

 

7ultivation of green algae working in tea estate

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iddha biochemistry lab iddha medicine

+ome remediesayur vedha, yoga, >aturopathy and unani

 

8i6uid sea weed fertili4er Industry