Prior to the development of synthetic drugs, more than 80% of all medicines were of plant origin. Even today, indigenous tribes in remote Amazonian rain forests can provide a plant product to treat virtually any ailment. Herbal medicine is also widely and successfully practiced in China. Most of these drugs are unknown to the Western world. But the forests from which much of this plant material is obtained are being converted to agriculture. We are in danger of losing many of these potential drugs before they can be evaluated by Western medicine. What steps can you suggest to preserve these natural
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- You have been asked to design a drought-resistant plant that will grown in the special areas, a large region in southeastern Alberta that has cyclical drought. List four structural features that this plant would have. Explain why you chose each featurearrow_forwardSome plants actually thrive in soils that most plants find challenging. One example is the California redbud which grows on serpentine soil (a soil type high in toxic magnesium and nickel but low in calcium). Some of these species even need to be grown in the unusual soils to survive. Others can tolerate more standard soil conditions. If you wanted to grow some of these unusual plants in their native soil, what is one risk to you as the gardener? How does tolerance to such (normally toxic) soil help the plant?arrow_forwardwhy do plants become resistant to herbicides?arrow_forward
- Which of the following adaptations allows plants to pause their life cycle until environmental conditions are optimal? a. Stomata b. Phloem and xylem c. Seeds d. Flowersarrow_forwardPlants that grow in the understory of the tropical rainforest under a heavy canopy of tall trees have developed adaptations to the dark, hot, and moist environment. Knowing that darker green leaves are richer in chlorophyll than lighter green leaves, which of the following characteristics would you expect to find in their leaves? A. small dark green leaves with few stomata B. small pale green leaves with few stomata C. large dark green leaves with many stomata D. large pale green leaves with many stomataarrow_forwardHow can fertilizer maximize the growth and development of their plants without compromising the integrity of the plants?arrow_forward
- What is meant by modification of root? What type of modification of root is found in the:(a) Banyan tree (b) Turnip (c) Mangrove treesarrow_forwardWhy should we add well decayed organic matter and basal fertilized to the soil before transplanting seedlings or grafted plants of perennial crop species?arrow_forwardWhich of the following causes increase in the diameter of a stem?a. Increase in size of cells in enlargement region.b. Secondary xylem produced by the vascular cambium.c. Secondary phloem produced by the vascular cambium.d. All of the above.arrow_forward
- Human activities and natural phenomena can drive plant species to extinction. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service maintains lists of threatened and endangered plant species. What are some examples of threatened or endangered species in your area? What are the most important threats to those species? What are the potential consequences of a plant species extinction? What steps should we take to save threatened and endangered plants?arrow_forwardAs you learned in this chapter, many prescription drugs are derived from natural plant products. Numerous other plant substances, including caffeine and nicotine, have effects in the human body, as well. There is also a wide array of plant products, in the form of pills, powders, or teas, marketed as herbal medicines. Some people prefer taking these “natural” products to pharmaceuticals. Others use herbal supplements to boost energy, promote weight loss, strengthen the immune system, relieve stress, and more. The U.S. Federal Drug Administration, which approves pharmaceuticals, is also responsible for regulating herbal remedies. What does the label “FDA-approved” on an herbal remedy mean? How does that compare to FDA approval of a drug? The FDA website http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/default.htm is a good place to start your research. (Note that the FDA classifies herbal remedies as dietary supplements.)arrow_forwardWhich of the following statements about phototropism is/are not true? A. Red light is the most effective light wavelength for positive phototropism of plants. B. Higher auxin concentration on the lighted side causes that side to elongate more than the non illuminated side. C. Phototropins are the only effective light receptors in phototropism. D. Phototropism decreases the plant's ability to enhance photosynthetic capacity. E. All of the above F. None of the abovearrow_forward
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