Science education is experiencing a revitalization, as it is recognized that science should be accessible to everyone, not just society’s future scientists. One way to make the study of science more substantive to the non-major is to require a laboratory component for all science courses. The subject of applied botany with its emphasis on the practical aspects of plant science, the authors believe, will be appealing to the non-major as it exemplifies how a basic science can be applied to problem solving. Laboratory Manual for Applied Botany will make students realize that the study of plants is relevant to their lives and that they can participate in the discovery process of science. Although the manual includes much of the basic plant anatomy found in standard botany manuals, it differs in taking a practical approach, examining those plants and plant products that have sustained or affected human society.

The Sixth Edition of Botany: An Introduction to Plant Biology provides a modern and comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of botany while retaining the important focus of natural selection, analysis of botanical phenomena, and diversity.

Practical Botany for Advanced Level and Intermediate Students, Fifth Edition is a five-part laboratory manual covering the syllabuses in Botany of the advanced level students and other examinations of similar standard. This laboratory manual must be used in conjunction with textbooks of botany. The Introduction presents general instructions for practical work and for the keeping of practical notebooks and a list of apparatus and instruments required, as well as a summary of the characteristics of living organisms, the differences between plants and animals and the principles of plant classification. Part I describes the features and methods of use of the microscope, while Part II contains intensive discussions on the evaluation of the morphological, cytological, and histological aspects of plants. The remaining parts cover the biochemical, physiological, and genetic aspects of the plant experiments. This book is directed toward advanced and intermediate level botany teachers and students.

The user This manual is designed for the use of geo-scientists with an interest and need in developing palaeobiological materials as a potential source of data. To meet this objective practical procedures have been formatted for use by both professional and semi professional students with an initial understanding of palaeo biological research aims as a primary source of scientific data. I have attempted to provide an explanation and understanding of practical procedures which may be required by students undertaking palaeobiological projects as part of a degree course. The layout of this manual should be particularly beneficial in the instruction and training of geotechnologists and museum preparators. Graduate students and scientists requiring an outline of a preparation procedure will also be able to use the manual as a reference from which to assess the suitability of a procedure. This manual is also intended for use by the "committed amateur". Many of the techniques described in this manual have been devised by non-palaeontologists, and developed from methods used in archaeology, zoology and botany, as well as other areas of geology. A considerable number of the methods can be undertaken by the amateur, and in the case of many of the field procedures, should be used. This will ensure that specimens and samples can be conserved in such a manner as to facilitate any later research, and not invalidate the results of subsequent geochemical analytical techniques which might be employed.

If global challenges in food production and the impact of ever-declining biodiversity are to be tackled, every country will need plant biologists who have a deep understanding of plant morphology, physiology and genetics, and how these interact to affect plant function in changing environments. These scientists will also need the capacity to use an effective and powerful set of technologies and research strategies. To prepare and inspire our students to become that next generation of researchers and to instill a meaningful involvement in research we created an integrated set of laboratory investigations that we felt truly reflected the mysteries of plant biology and puzzle-solving processes that we had encountered in our research experience. Rather than a set of unconnected experimental activities, we created a series of closely related experiments that focused on solving ‘mysteries’ in the life of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress). The activities charge students with finding the ‘suspect’ gene responsible for the specific phenotypes of an unknown Arabidopsis mutant, which are encountered when they expose the plants to different environmental stresses. This, we hoped, would give keen but inexperienced student scientists a realistic taste of the joys (and frustrations!) of plant science research. Although thrilled by numerous university and national awards for our innovative teaching, we have been most excited by the interest in our ideas and experimental approaches from other plant science educators in Australia and overseas, who are also seeking to improve their plant biology curriculum and attract more students to plant sciences. We are thus proud to present this manual as a gift to our colleagues worldwide. Here you will find a detailed collection of state-of-the-art procedures in plant biology, as well as background information on more commonly used techniques, and tips for class preparation. The concepts and methods we present can be adapted to meet the specific needs and expertise of the teaching staff, and provide inspiration for scaling up for larger audiences, or simplifying for more junior classes. Through this publication, we hope to support our teaching colleagues in making a significant impact on improving the learning experience of plant biology students worldwide, and hope that we will motivate and inspire a new generation of plant detectives.

Offers several exercises within each topic that can be selected for coverage that suits individual course needs. Questions and problems follow each topic. This edition includes new topics, new exercises, and refinements and updating throughout.