The most amazing thing about trees

[Hamelia]

Thought the science ED might find this interesting. I'm studying biology in college, and plant science has always been one of my favorite areas of study, and the number of creative ways that plants deal with a variety of things has always amazed me, including how they handle water transportation. The video I linked explains pretty well exactly how plants, especially very tall trees, do it, and why it's so amazing.

[Lakytwo]

Hamelia

Thought the science ED might find this interesting. I'm studying biology in college, and plant science has always been one of my favorite areas of study, and the number of creative ways that plants deal with a variety of things has always amazed me, including how they handle water transportation. The video I linked explains pretty well exactly how plants, especially very tall trees, do it, and why it's so amazing.

I've always found biology such an amazing field of study because of the diverse and amazing things you learn. Plants are all so amazing and unique! (Though Entomology is more my cup of tea.) From flowers to trees they are all so interesting.

[M E C H A N I C A R M]

Plant science is so under-rated! I think that's cause they teach it so badly at school. Genetically speaking plants are so much more fascinating! It's such a shame people tend towards zoology then phytology. ='[

[Hamelia]

M E C H A N I C A R M

Plant science is so under-rated! I think that's cause they teach it so badly at school. Genetically speaking plants are so much more fascinating! It's such a shame people tend towards zoology then phytology. ='[

Plant are amazing. They're huge dicks taxonomically, but genetically they're pretty cool. Studying plants on my own is how I first read about horizontal gene transfer.

I've always been amazed at how plants communicate with each other to an extent via chemical signals. For example, if you've ever heard the advice to put an unripe fruit in a bag with a ripe fruit in order to ripen it up, that's due to one of those chemical signal adaptations - ripe fruits of almost all plants emit the same chemical signal, telling other fruits on the same tree or nearby trees to begin ripening as well.

I think part of why it's so under-rated is because most people take plants for granted. We're surrounded by them. Everywhere we go, we see plants. They're just a given for most people, whereas zoology is interesting to people because they get to deal with animals they'd rarely if ever see otherwise.

[M E C H A N I C A R M]

Hamelia

They can be tough taxonomically, but I often wonder how much of that is down to the taxonomists. ;P

I used to work in a botanical molecular systematics lab and the famous pub debate was the bloody species concept because, as I'm sure you already know, it's almost impossible to come up with a uniform definition for plants.

Orchids are ridiculous as well because every time they discover a slight variation of a petal they're like: "NEW SPECIES OMG!!!1!"

I think you might be right though about plants being taken for granted and to be honest until my last job so did I! But no I curse my ignorance of course. ;P

[Hamelia]

M E C H A N I C A R M

Hamelia

They can be tough taxonomically, but I often wonder how much of that is down to the taxonomists. ;P

I used to work in a botanical molecular systematics lab and the famous pub debate was the bloody species concept because, as I'm sure you already know, it's almost impossible to come up with a uniform definition for plants.

Orchids are ridiculous as well because every time they discover a slight variation of a petal they're like: "NEW SPECIES OMG!!!1!"

I think you might be right though about plants being taken for granted and to be honest until my last job so did I! But no I curse my ignorance of course. ;P

I'm working towards a degree in environmental microbiology right now. Microbiology fascinates me, but my love of plants forced me to compromise so I could get some ecology and botany classes in razz

I've always thought that the urge to create new species' so often was a bit ridiculous when it comes to plants. Plants are notorious for not following the keys - just because it says it'll have 5 stamen, doesn't mean it won't have 4 or 6 or 7, et cetera. That and the massive level of regional variation makes me think that perhaps the taxonomic approach towards plants should be different from the approach towards animals, with more of an emphasis on categorizing by genus and family and perhaps being a bit more loose or caring a bit less about species level identification.

[M E C H A N I C A R M]

Hamelia

M E C H A N I C A R M

Hamelia

They can be tough taxonomically, but I often wonder how much of that is down to the taxonomists. ;P

I used to work in a botanical molecular systematics lab and the famous pub debate was the bloody species concept because, as I'm sure you already know, it's almost impossible to come up with a uniform definition for plants.

Orchids are ridiculous as well because every time they discover a slight variation of a petal they're like: "NEW SPECIES OMG!!!1!"

I think you might be right though about plants being taken for granted and to be honest until my last job so did I! But no I curse my ignorance of course. ;P

I'm working towards a degree in environmental microbiology right now. Microbiology fascinates me, but my love of plants forced me to compromise so I could get some ecology and botany classes in razz

I've always thought that the urge to create new species' so often was a bit ridiculous when it comes to plants. Plants are notorious for not following the keys - just because it says it'll have 5 stamen, doesn't mean it won't have 4 or 6 or 7, et cetera. That and the massive level of regional variation makes me think that perhaps the taxonomic approach towards plants should be different from the approach towards animals, with more of an emphasis on categorizing by genus and family and perhaps being a bit more loose or caring a bit less about species level identification.

Nice, I'm starting a PhD in Microbial Biochemistry in October! =D

As far as I'm aware the methods is different. They same to take geography more into account. As they can't rely on the 'biological' species concept I guess they have to play it a bit more by ear. Hence why there is so much debate.

[The Cat Band Fairy]

I'm quite good at plant science, it's one of my stronger areas of biochemistry. It's a shame I absolutely despite it. :>

[M E C H A N I C A R M]

The Cat Band Fairy

Why the hate for plants!? heart

[mikestang746]

They make human life amazing as well wink