Introductory plant biology / Kingsley R. Stern ; with contributions by James E. Bidlack , Shelley H. Jansky, Gordon E. Uno.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. What is plant biology? --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
The relationship of humans to their environment --
Botany as a science --
Diversification of plant study --
Awareness : plant biology and the Web --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
2. The nature of life --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Attributes of living organisms --
Chemical and physical bases of life --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
3. Cells --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Cells --
Eukaryotic versus prokaryotic cells --
Cell structure and communication --
Cellular components --
Cellular reproduction --
Awareness : microscapes --
Higher plant cells versus animal cells --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
4. Tissues --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Meristematic tissues --
Tissues produced by meristems --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
5. Roots and soils --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
How roots develop --
Root structure --
Specialized roots --
Mycorrhizae --
Root nodules --
Human relevance of roots --
Soils --
Awareness : metal-munching plants --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading. 6. Stems --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
External form of a woody twig --
Origin and development of stems --
Awareness : standing in fields of stone --
Tissue patterns in stems --
Specialized stems --
Wood and its uses --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
7. Leaves --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Leaf arrangements and types --
Internal structure of leaves --
Stomata --
Mesophyll and veins --
Specialized leaves --
Autumnal changes in leaf color --
Abscission --
Human and ecological relevance of leaves --
Awareness : glass cuts from grass? --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
8. Flowers, fruits, and seeds --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Note to reader --
Differences between dicots and monocots --
Structure of flowers --
Fruits --
Fruit and seed dispersal --
Awareness : the seed that slept for 1,200 years --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
9. Water in plants --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Molecular movement --
Water and its movement through the plant --
Regulation of transpiration --
Transport of food substances (organic solutes) in solution --
Mineral requirements for growth --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading. 10. Plant metabolism --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Enzymes and energy transfer --
Photosynthesis --
Awareness : photosynthesis and pizza --
Respiration --
Additional metabolic pathways --
Assimilation and digestion --
Awareness : greenhouse gases and plant growth --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
11. growth --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Nutrients, vitamins, and hormones --
Hormonal interactions --
Other hormonal interactions --
Plant movements --
Photoperiodism --
Phytochromes and cryptochromes --
A flowering hormone? --
Temperature and growth --
Dormancy and quiescence --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
12. Meiosis and alternation of generations --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
The phases of meiosis --
Alternation of generations --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading. 13. Genetics --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Molecular genetics --
Awareness : the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) --
Cytogenetics --
Mendelian genetics --
Quantitative traits --
Extranuclear DNA --
Linkage and mapping --
The Hardy-Weinberg law --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
14. Plant breeding and propagation --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Crop plant evolution --
Plant breeding --
Plant propagation --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
15. Evolution --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
A brief overview of the early development of evolutionary concepts --
Charles Darwin --
Evidence for evolution --
Microevolution, evolution within species --
Rates of evolution --
Macroevolution, how species evolve --
The role of hybridization in evolution --
Discussion --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
16. Plant names and classification --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Development of the binomial system of nomenclature --
Development of the kingdom concept --
Classification of major groups --
A key to major groups of organisms (exclusive of kingdom animalia) --
Cladistics --
The future of plant classification --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading. 17. Kingdom (kingdom) bacteria, domain (kingdom) archaea, and viruses --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Features of domains (kingdoms) bacteria and archaea --
Domain bacteria (kingdom bacteria), the true bacteria --
Human relevance of the unpigmented, purple, and green sulfur bacteria --
Class cyanobacteria, the cyanobacteria (blue-green bacteria) --
Class prochlorobacteriae, the prochlorobacteria --
Domain archaea (kingdom archaea), the archaebacteria --
Viruses --
Awareness : plant viruses --
Viroids and prions --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
18. Kingdom protista --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Features of kingdom protista --
Algae --
Phylum chlorophyta, the green algae --
Phylum chromophyta, the yellow-green algae, golden-brown algae, diatoms, and brown algae --
Phylum rhodophyta, the red algae --
Phylum euglenophyta, the euglenoids --
Phylum dinophyta, the dinoflagellates --
Phylum cryptophyta, the cryptomonads --
Phylum prymnesiophyta (haptophyta), the haptophytes --
Phylum charophyta, the stoneworts --
Human and ecological relevance of the algae --
Other members of kingdom protista --
Phylum myxomycota, the plasmodial slime molds --
Phylum dictyosteliomycota, the cellular slime molds --
Phylum oomycota, the water molds --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading. 19. Kingdom fungi --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Distinctions between kingdoms protista and fungi --
Kingdom fungi, the true fungi --
Lichens --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
20. Introduction to the plant kingdom : bryophytes --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Introduction to the bryophytes --
Phylum hepaticophyta, liverworts --
Phylum anthocerophyta, hornworts --
Phylum bryophyta, mosses --
Awareness : hibernating mosses --
Human and ecological relevance of bryophytes --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
21. The seedless vascular plants : ferns and their relatives --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Phylum psilotophyta, the whisk ferns --
Phylum lycophyta, the ground pines, spike mosses, and quillworts --
Phylum equisetophyta, the horsetails and scouring rushes --
Phylum polypodiophyta, the ferns --
Fossils --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
22. Introduction to seed plants : gymnosperms --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Phylum pinophyta, the conifers --
Other gymnosperms --
Human relevance of gymnosperms --
Awareness : A living fossil? --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading. 23. Seed plants : angiosperms --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Phylum magnoliophyta, the flowering plants --
Pollination ecology --
Herbaria and plant preservation --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
24. Flowering plants and civilization --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Origin of cultivated plants --
Selected families of flowering plants --
Dicots (now recognized in two groups) --
Monocots --
Awareness : coffee and caffeine --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
25. Ecology --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Some learning goals --
Plants and the environment --
Natural cycles --
Succession --
The impacts of humans on plant communities --
Global warming --
Loss of biodiversity --
Awareness : John Muir, father of America's National Park System --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
26. Biomes --
Chapter outline --
Overview --
Learning goal --
Major biomes of North America --
Summary --
Review questions --
Discussion questions --
Additional reading --
Appendix 1. Scientific names of organisms mentioned in the text --
Appendix 2. Biological controls --
Appendix 3. Useful and poisonous plants, fungi, and algae --
Appendix 4. House plants and home gardening --
Appendix 5. Metric equivalents and conversion tables --
Glossary.

This introductory text assumes little prior scientific knowledge on the part of the student. It includes sufficient information for some shorter introductory botany courses open to both majors and nonmajors, and is arranged so that certain sections can be omitted without disrupting the overall continuity of the course. Stern emphasizes current interests while presenting basic botanical principles.