Questions - Answers

1. Explain how the term Botany has emerged?

A: The root word for botany is Bouskein. It is a Greek word which means Cattle feed. It gradually became Botane & from it the word Botany is derived.
 

2. Name the books written by Parasara and mention the important aspects discussed in these books.

A: Parasara (1300 B.C.) is called as ''Father of Botany in India''. He wrote two books.
1. Krishi Parasharam: It is the first book on agriculture. He wrote about agriculture and also mentioned weeds.
2. Vrikshayaurveda: He described 3 aspects in it.
a) Types of forests
b) External and internal characters of plants.
c) Description of medicinal plants.

3. Who is popularly known as 'Father of Botany'? What was the book written by him?

A: Theophrastus (371 - 287 B.C.), a student of Aristotle is popularly known as "Father of Botany". He wrote a book called "de Historia Plantarum". He described the external and internal characters of 500 plants in it.

4. Who are herbalists? What are the books written by them?

A: Herb is a medicinal plant. Books written about them are called herbals. The botanists who write herbals are called herbalists.
 

5. What was the contribution of Carolus Von Linnaeus for the development of plant taxonomy?

A: The contributions of Linnaeus for the development of plant taxonomy are
1) He proposed sexual system of classification.
2) He proposed principles of classification.
3) He popularised Binomial Nomenclature.
4) He wrote Species Plantarum in which he classified plants in 24 groups (classes) on the basis of stamens and carpels.

6. Why is Mendel considered as the father of Genetics?
A: Gregor Johann Mendel (1822 - 1884) was an Austrian monk. He worked on Pisum Sativum (Fabaceae, Garden Pea) for years together (1856-1864) and studied the mechanism of heredity. He proposed 'Principles of inheritance' for the first time. It became the beginning of 'Genetics'. So he is considered as 'Father of Genetics'.
 

7. Who discovered the cell? What was the book written by him?
A: Robert Hooke (1635 - 1703), an English scientist discovered the plant dead cell belonging to the cork of Oak tree. He observed it under the compound microscope in 1665.
He coined the term 'cellula' (latin, which means empty small room). He published the figures of cork cells in a book called 'Micrographia'.
 

8. What is Palaeobotany? What is its use?
A: The study of plant fossils (remains of ancient life) is called Palaeobotany. It is useful to understand the course of evolution in plants.

9. Name the branches of Botany which deal with the Chlorophyllous autotrophic thallophytes and non-chlrophyllous heterotrophic thallophytes?
A: The chlorophyllous autotrophic thallophytes are algae. The study of algae is called as 'Phycology or Algology'. The non-chlorophyllous heterotrophic thallophytes are fungi. The study of fungi is called Mycology or Mycetology.
 

10. Name the groups of plants that live as symbionts in lichens? Name the study of lichens.
A: The algal member (Phycobiont) and a fungal member (Mycobiont) live as symbionts in a lichen.

The study of lichens is called 'Lichenology'

11. Which group of plants is called Vascular cryptogams?
A: Name the branch of Botany which deals with them. Pteridophytes are vascular cryptogams. The branch of Botany that deals with the study of Pteridophytes is called Pteridology.
 

12. Which group of plants is called Amphibians of plant kingdom? Name the branch of Botany that deals with them?
A: Bryophytes are the first land plants and require water for fertilisation. So they are also called as Amphibians of plant kingdom. Their study is called Bryology.