Botany - The Science of Plants

This week is all about children and nature. We will introduce you to some of the fascinating creatures that live in or on the side of the green plants. Maybe you have met some of these creatures before, but you might not know much about them. That's why we have compiled this glossary of botanical terms and defined them for you! Let's begin.

Algae

Algae are types of plants that do not use soil to grow. Instead, they float on the surface of the water, taking in water and releasing nutrients as needed. You will often see algae near the water's edge in still or slow-moving waters. Some people think of algae as a nuisance, as they sometimes grow in abundance and block light from shining on the water. However, many people enjoy watching the dance of the algae at sunset. Algae are often mistaken for flowers, as they have bright colors that can appear almost like flowers. They are not flowers, however, and do not have the same function; algae are actually a type of plant.

Archaeal

Archaeal means “relating to archaes,” which is a group of organisms that lived in water long before humans did. There are five types of archaea: E. coli, halo-tolerant archaea, methanogenic archaea, sulphate reducing archaea, and thermoacidophilic archaea. When an organism is an archaea, it is usually because it is able to live in an extremely acidic or alkaline environment. If you have ever eaten an orange, you have eaten food that was once fed to chickens by an archaea. Most people have not heard of the archaea, even though they were crucial to the evolution of life on Earth. Some people consider the archaea to be little more than germs, as they are frequently associated with health problems. However, many researchers believe that the archaea play a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycle, and are essential in the process of turning rocks into soil.

Bacterium

Bacterium is another word for “bacter,” a bacteria. Most people have a general understanding of bacteria, as they live in relatively simple communities on or in the human body. The most well-known bacteria are the good bacteria, such as the lactobacilli and enterococci, which help make our bodies function properly. There are about 500 different species of bacteria, and they all have an effect on our health. Bacteria are also crucial in the decomposition of dead organisms, from plants and animals, to the enrichment of the soil. Without bacteria, decomposition would be much more difficult and slow.

childcare botany

Botany is the science of plants. A botanist is someone who studies plants, or the plant kingdom. There is also a sub-discipline of botany, taxonomy, which is the formal study of organisms, and describes how they are classified and named. For example, plants are classified as angiosperms or gymnosperms based on their reproductive structures; angiosperms have flowers that produce seeds, while gymnosperms do not produce seeds. Another subdivision of botany is morphology, which focuses on the form and structure of plants, as well as their function. For example, the shape of a plant determines its function as a climbing vine or a floating leaf.

Carnivore

A carnivore is an animal that feeds mainly on other animals. Therefore, a carnivorous plant is a plant that feeds on other plants or animals, and may or may not be poisonous. Some carnivorous plants are small in size and contain sharp teeth, making them look like a cross between a dog and a tiger. The carnivorous pitcher plant or sundew traps insects using enzymes and plant juices, and some species of Venus flytrap are actually considered to be some of the most amazing plants in the world. The sticky pads on some of these plants, when touched by a fly, will close around the insect, effectively snaring it. Some experts state that the Venus flytrap's method of feeding is extremely efficient, as there is no other plant on the planet that eats more insects than the sundew.

Chlorophyll

We mentioned above how algae are plants that do not use soil to grow. Algae do not actually need soil to live in, as they can grow all around the world, given the proper lighting and temperature. The most important thing for algae is water, as they cannot live for very long without it. There is a compound within algae, called chlorophyll, that makes them photosynthetically active: that is, it allows them to use light energy and nutrients from the sun to build complex molecules, such as proteins and carbohydrates. When the sun's rays are blocked by clouds or smoke, the algae's ability to produce these molecules is greatly reduced, and eventually, they will die. Chlorophyll has the ability to attract and retain other living organisms, such as algae, as it is a potent source of food for them. Chlorophyll also has the ability to bind with other substances, making it a crucial part of the biosphere.

Choanoflagellate

Choanoflagellates are protozoans that contain microscopic hair-like projections that allow them to move around and feed on other organisms in the water. The choanoflagellates prey on bacteria and algae, as well as on other protozoans. The hairs that protrude from the choanoflagellates are very small, about 10-25 nm in diameter, and are not able to be seen by the unaided eye. Despite the fact that these creatures are single-celled and only a couple millimeters in length, they were critical to the evolution of life on Earth, as they existed millions of years before humans did. Most likely, the ancestors of the humans that live in Africa today encountered the choanoflagellates and were influenced in some way by their strange appearance. They have since become a symbol of natural selection and the process of evolution. The name “choanoflagellate” comes from the word choan, which means “group of organisms living together,” and the word flagellate, which means “having a flagellum or whip-like tail.”

Ciliate

Ciliates are a type of organism that is usually found in freshwater. They are microscopic, single-celled creatures that move around using locomotion systems, which propel them along, similar to a horse's foot or a human walking. Another interesting fact about ciliates is that they are capable of consuming other organisms that are much larger than themselves. Some common ciliates include the amoeba, which is known as the Earth's “missing link,” and the flagellate, which we mentioned above. Ciliates are an important part of the food web, as they help decompose dead organisms and return nutrients to the soil. They are also the organisms that give truffles their distinctive grayish-black color.

Digestive system

The digestive system is the organ responsible for breaking down food into simpler compounds for the body to use. When we eat food, it enters our mouth and is transferred to our teeth, where we break it down into bite-sized particles. Next, the food passes through our stomach, where different compounds are broken down into simpler substances. At the end of our digestive system, the resulting feces are expelled from the body. The feces, in turn, decompose into simpler compounds that can be reused by plants and other organisms in the soil. In humans, this process takes about 16 hours, though some individuals take longer than that. Without our digestive system, we would not be able to function as human beings, as it is crucial to our existence. The digestive system is complex, as it requires a large amount of coordination between different organs including the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and colon. Its function is not only to break down food, but to collect and excrete materials necessary for the body's functioning.

Entomologist

An entomologist is someone who studies insects. The field of entomology focuses on the study of insects, arachnids (spiders), and other arthropods (arachnids' relatives). People who specialize in studying insects are entomologists, and they may collect insects from the wild or synthesize them in laboratories. Some people who study insects find them fascinating as they are able to teach us about the workings of the natural world. Their findings may also help us in the fight against insect-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever.