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. It gives a broad understanding of the structure, growth, reproduction, metabolism, development, diseases, chemical properties, and evolutionary relationships among taxonomic groups. The study 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 of living organisms. The term Botany comes from !reek "#$%&', meaning pasture, grass, fodder , perhaps via the 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, from the molecular, genetic and biochemical level through organelles, cells, tissues, organs, individuals, plant populations, and communities of plants. (t each of these levels a botanist might 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 covered all 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 lichen.forming fungi )lichenology*, non. chlorophyte algae )phycology* and viruses )virology*. +owever, attention is still given to these groups by botanists, and fungi )including lichens*, and photosynthetic protists are usually covered in introductory botany courses. The study of plants is vital because they are a fundamental part of life on /arth, which generates the oxygen, food, fibres, fuel and medicine that allow humans and other life forms to exist. Through photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that in large amounts can affect global climate. (dditionally, they prevent soil erosion and are influential in the water cycle. ( good understanding of plants is crucial to the future of human societies as it allows us to0

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 the earth, 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 algae and 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 now recogni4ed universally. 5urther, algae are used as experimental organisms in the study of such fundamental aspects of biology as photosynthesis, respiration and growth, in bio.assay techni6ues and in bio.technology. 7onsidering all these, (lgology should be given a very high priority in biological research. There are numerous eukaryotic algae which are of greater importance and economic significance. Their potential as sources of food, feed, rare chemicals and energy, is yet to be reali4ed. (lgal farming, a modern concept, is yet to be taken 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 5ertili4ers ),85s* obtained from Kappaphycus alvarezii, Sargassum and Ulva for the growth and yield of certain crops like paddy, ground nut, chilly,

greens and marigold was made under field trial. The ,85s 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 rapid degradation. 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 5oundation )995*, 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(?2,9/<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 Birector of 7+, and Dr K Balasubramanian, organic chemist and pharmacologist and 7/; of 995, the pioneers in the research team, have said that the new product would be the first drug in the world developed from herbal source 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 B>( 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 the modern techni6ues of manipulating B>(, to produce recombinants.

'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.

+ermentation )echnology <icro.organisms 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 micro.organisms has resulted in the development of the fermentation industry and the techni6ues of genetic manipulation have given this well.established industry the opportunity to develop new processes and to improve existing ones. Bio.fermentation 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 B>( 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 small.scale agro.ecological 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 clean.up 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 polluted soil, biodegradation of wastes, biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons.

)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. Bifferent 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 called cytology. 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 Bam 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 H orchards. <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. 5loriculture refers to the cultivation of plants which give economic flowers. !rowing ornamental plants to decorate indoor H outdoor areas is called gardening. 5oliage 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.

(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 via selling horticulture products. 5rom 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 Iob opportunities to rural people. +orticultural crops are more profitable than cereals. 5ruits 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.

,cosystems are sustained by the biodiversity within them. Biodiversity is the full.scale 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 local communities, 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. )a.onomy 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 of microbes, 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 . 1hotosynthesis.light reaction, 7;L assimilation, photorespiration . 9espiration.aerobic and anaerobic respiration. >itrogen metabolism.,ymbiotic and asymbiotc nitrogen fixation, amino acid synthesis, protein synthesis . 1hysiology of flowering , !rowth hormones. Mernalii4ation. /n4yme technology. 1urification of en4ymes, application of en4ymes in industry.

,mbryology (ngiosperms are the highest evolved plants and forms the most important part of the present vegetation. 5lower 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 angiosperms0 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.

(obel Pri#e /inners in Botany The L00O >obel 1ri4es were awarded during @Oth 5irst (nnual >obel 1ri4e 7eremony, at +arvard3s ,anders Theatre.. BI010&2 P!I3,0 5umiaki Taguchi, ,ong !uofu, and Phang !uanglei of Qitasato 2niversity !raduate ,chool of <edical ,ciences in ,agamihara, Capan, for demonstrating that kitchen refuse can be reduced more than O0R in mass by using bacteria extracted from the feces of giant pandas. 9/5/9/>7/0 <icrobial Treatment of Qitchen 9efuse Nith /n4yme.1roducing Thermophilic Bacteria 5rom !iant 1anda 5eces, 5umiaki Taguchia, ,ong !uofua, and Phang !uanglei, ,eibutsu.kogaku Qaishi, vol. SO, no @L, L00@, pp. TDA.O. Uand abstracted in Cournal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, vol. OL, no. D, L00@, p. D0L.V 9/5/9/>7/0 <icrobial Treatment of 5ood.1roduction Naste with Thermopile /n4yme. 1roducing Bacterial 5lora from a !iant 1anda Uin CapaneseV, 5umiaki Taguchi, ,ong !uofu, ?asunori ,ugai, +iroyasu Qudo and (kira Qoikeda, Cournal of the Capan ,ociety of Naste <anagement /xperts, vol. @T, no. L, L00A, pp. , SD.EL. )he 4556 (obel Pri#e /inners BI010&2 P!I3,0 was wawrded to 1rof. Br. Cohanna /.<.+. van BronswiIk of /indhoven 2niversity of Technology, The >etherlands, for doing a census of all the mites, insects, spiders, pseudoscorpions, crustaceans, bacteria, algae, ferns and fungi . 9/5/9/>7/,0 +uis, Bed en BeestIes U+ouse, Bed and BugsV, C./.<.+. van BronswiIk, >ederlands TiIdschrift voor !eneeskunde, vol. @@D, no. L0, <ay @A, @OSL, pp. EL5.A@. +et ,tof, de <iIten en het Bed UBust, <ites and BeddingV. C./.<.+. van BronswiIk Makblad voor Biologen, vol. 5A, no. L, @OSA, pp. LL.5. (utotrophic ;rganisms in <attress Bust in the >etherlands, B. van de 8ustgraaf, C.+.+.<. Qlerkx, C./.<.+. van BronswiIk, (cta Botanica >eerlandica, vol. LS, no. L, @OSE, pp @L5.E. ( Bed /cosystem, C./.<.+. van BronswiIk, 8ecture (bstracts .. @st Benelux 7ongress of Poology, 8euven, >ovember T.5, @OOT, p. AD.

)he 7889 (obel Pri#e /inners The @OOD >obel 1ri4es were awarded at the Dth 5irst (nnual >obel 1ri4e 7eremony, at +arvard3s ,anders Theatre. BI010&20 Br. 1aul Bosland, director of The 7hile 1epper Institute, >ew <exico ,tate 2niversity, 8as 7ruces, >ew <exico, won the award for breeding a spiceless Ialapeno chile pepper. BI010&20 (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. 9/5/9/>7/0 British <edical Cournal, vol. A0O, Bec LT.A@, @OOT, 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$aminathan the (obel 1aureate of India ;n the occasion of Nobel eace ri!e award in @OS0, the laureate Br. Norman "orla#g, said of Br. ,waminathan0 The green revolution has been a team effort and much of the credit for its spectacular development must go to Indian officials, Organizations, Scientists and farmers. o!ever, to you, "r. S!aminathan, a great deal of the credit must go for first recognizing the potential value of the #e$ican d!arfs. ad this not occurred, it is %uite possible that there !ould not have been a green revolution in &sia .

5irst $orld %ood ri!e was awarded to Br. ,waminathan in ;ctober @OES . Br. ,waminathan has been described by the &nited Nations 'nvironment rogramme as the 'ather of Economic Ecology . &N' ,asakawa /nvironment 1ri4e 8aureate was awarded for outstanding contributions to the protection and management of the environment. (long with 7o. winner a#l and (nne 'hrlich @OOT, 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 a significant contribution to humanity=s material and cultural progress. L000 The )ndian National +cience (cademy awarded him <illennium ,cientist (ward L00@, and (sutosh <ookerIee <emorial (ward for @OOO-L000 for the contribution to humanity=s material and cultural progress

%ar gobind Khorana +ar gobind Qhorana was awarded nobel pri4e in @ODE for the discovery of the artificial 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 the extensive scientific study of plants along with their structures, growth, use, and process of all forms of plant life.their evolution, ageing, decaying and death. ( person who deals with the study of Botany is generally referred to as a Botanist. +is Iob involves comprehensive study of flora, which range from the minutest bacteria to the largest tree. 7onsidering the current scenario, various factors like population

explosion, pollution and so on are affecting the flora. Therefore, apart from in.depth study of flora, a Botanist is also re6uired to explore the possible way out of agricultural, horticulture and environment related issues. Thus career in Botany can be highly rewarding for those, who are allured with the aesthetic beauty of nature and flora. (fter successful completion of graduation in Botany, one can work as biological technician, while a post graduate degree in the subIect makes the person eligible to opt for a career in teaching or to take up research work in any prominent 2niversity. Besides, one can Ioin any reputed organi4ation as environment consultants, plant explorers, ecologists, conservationists, 1ark rangerX5orester, >ursery manager, Taxonomist, +orticulturist, !enetics, 1lant biochemist, <olecular biologist, 1lant pathologist, /nvironmental consultant, and 5arming consultant. ;ptions are not only confined to India, numerous opportunities are also available in abroad as well. Best :ob oriented courses in Botany and Biotechnology The list of the courses are0 (gronomy . (pplication of plant science to crop production. /conomic botany . ,tudy of plants of economic use or value. 5orestry . 5orest 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 ,oil science and ,oil 7onservation Bio.statistics <olecular Biology Biophysics 1harmacology 5isheries

7ultivation of sea weeds

7are taking . 1lants in glass houses

+orticulture

Botany 8ibrary

!ardening

(gricultural economics

8andscape gardening

/thno botany

5orestry

+erbarium keeper .Botanical garden

;lericulture

Needing

<arine science

Nater plants collection

<ounting process of plants. +erbarium

,eed bank

(6uarium

(lgae collection

1lant culture. !erminatin

Botany collection <anager

7ultivation of green algae

working in tea estate

,iddha biochemistry lab

. ,iddha medicine

+ome remedies.ayur vedha, yoga, >aturopathy and unani

8i6uid sea weed fertili4er Industry