Botany Laboratory Guide

Author: Ye Chuangxing / Feng Hu yuan, Editors
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-02-01
Features: This book includes 36 experiments and 6 open-ended experiments, which cover the basic content of plant morphology and anatomy as well as systematic botany. It focuses on cultivating students' fundamental knowledge, basic experimental skills, and independent working abilities. Additionally, it incorporates innovative and forward-looking experimental content such as plant molecular systematics. In terms of experimental materials, efforts have been made to balance the selection between plants from northern and southern regions. The experimental design also emphasizes increasing students' autonomy and self-directed learning time, which will play a role in fostering their interest and abilities. The book also includes experiments on preparing plant keys, plant specimen making methods, paraffin section techniques, modern and fossil pollen preparation, and the preparation of observation materials for fossil plant leaves and petrified wood. At the end of the book, appendices are provided, including explanations of common botanical terms, a checklist of common plant species in South China and Northwest China, and color illustrations of the morphology and anatomical structures of plant organs from vegetative to reproductive stages, offering convenience for both instructors and students using this textbook. This textbook is suitable for plant biology experimental teaching in life science disciplines and can also be used as a reference for students and teachers in agricultural, forestry, and traditional Chinese medicine institutions.
[Preface] Botany is a compulsory foundational course for all life science students, and mastering it will benefit them throughout their lives. For some time, the content of traditional disciplines, including botany, has been significantly reduced, and teaching time has been drastically shortened. This approach has been proven to be incorrect by practice. Although botany is a historically long-established discipline with a rich descriptive knowledge base, it does not mean that botany has become obsolete in the face of rapid advancements in molecular biology. Nor can it be said that botany should be passive when integrating traditional and modern molecular biology. We cannot expect students with incomplete knowledge of zoology, botany, and other foundational disciplines to develop life sciences. On the other hand, from the perspective of national interests, traditional disciplines not only remain necessary but also require further development.
In higher education, traditional discipline teaching has shown concerning trends, such as the inability to conduct field practice courses in zoology and botany due to a lack of qualified instructors who are familiar with these subjects. There is a humorous anecdote: A Ph.D. who returned from the United States and had been promoted to professor misunderstood the chemical composition of Curcuma aromaticum (aromatic ginger) when studying its medicinal properties. He analyzed its rhizome as the medicinal part but found that its chemical composition differed from that recorded in pharmacopoeia. Later, an engineer with decades of experience in plant collection explained to him that in traditional Chinese medicine, aromatic ginger refers to the tubers (tuber) on the rhizome, while the rhizome itself is called curcumin and is derived from the same plant's two different organs. To my knowledge, while foreign countries are vigorously developing molecular biology, they have not abandoned traditional disciplines. The U.S. National Museum of Natural History houses 4 million plant specimens and 8 million insect specimens, and the British Museum preserves 8 million plant specimens—all of which are well-maintained. The development of botany is limitless. For instance, solving the mechanism of photosynthesis and simulating the photosynthetic process could address major global challenges such as energy, food, and population crises. National construction requires botany. If we examine closely, we will see that whether in the five-kingdom or six-kingdom system, animals, plants, and microorganisms occupy extremely important positions. They give rise to numerous branch disciplines and industries. We should not overlook the mainstream or neglect the source, as this could lead to misconceptions.
While some schools have reduced the number of hours for traditional disciplines and compressed experimental time, we have instead strengthened botany teaching. For example, at Sun Yat-sen University, the botany course has a total of 144 teaching hours, with theory and experiments equally divided at 72 hours each, plus 8 days of field practice, placing practical teaching in a significant position. Sun Yat-sen University's emphasis on practical teaching stems from its predecessors, such as Zhang Hongda, Wu Yinchian, Xin Shuichi, Zhang Chaochang, Zhu Wanjia, Wang Bosun, and Zeng Pei, who made great contributions to the development of botany in China. Their successors, such as Li Zihua, Zhong Heng, Liu Lanfang, Huang Yunhui, and Miao Ruhuai, have made creative contributions to practical teaching. In the early days, they drew diagrams themselves and worked with carpenters to create removable bordered pit models, floral diagrams, and double fertilization models of angiosperms. They also used mud and paper pulp to make models of the column of Cymbidium goeringii and models of diatoms and Chlamydomonas. Li Zihua and Zhong Heng were skilled in calligraphy and painting, hand-drawing countless illustrations and diagrams that have played a vital role in teaching both in the past and present. Today, we have digitized their drawings and models, which continue to serve in the classroom. Especially when compiling this textbook, we have referenced their meticulously drawn diagrams, their detailed observations often leaving us in awe, and their dedication to teaching, nurturing younger scholars, and their meticulous commitment, which have influenced generations.
In this botany textbook, a significant portion of the original illustrations come from Zhong Heng, Li Zihua, and Liu Lanfang, particularly the sketches from experimental manuals used in teaching (re-drawn and referenced). We are deeply honored and grateful to these predecessors, and nothing else is left for us but respect and gratitude. Mr. Xie Qingjian redrew and colored the illustrations, and the textbook editors extend their sincere thanks.
This botany experimental manual was co-authored by colleagues from Sun Yat-sen University and Lanzhou University, spanning the southeastern and northwestern regions of China, making it a crystallization of their enthusiastic and close collaboration. Although many authors participated in the writing, the origins of this textbook date back to a long-standing internal experimental manual that we compiled, which embodies the efforts of predecessors, both living and deceased. As successors, we have compiled this experimental manual without any sense of pride, perhaps viewing it more as a joint work of teachers loyal to the Party's educational cause. The focus of textbook writing is to introduce the fundamental content of botany while incorporating molecular systematics and various plant specimen preparation techniques, paraffin sectioning, pollen preparation, and the preparation of fossil plant observation materials. The checklist of common plant species in South China and Northwest China is included as an appendix, along with color illustrations of plant morphology at the back of the book. Common botanical terms are also included in the textbook.
The initial intention of compiling this textbook was not to be exhaustive, but we hope to cover content not found in popular botany experimental manuals. We attempted to enhance the textbook with color illustrations, but its publication was made possible by the generous support of Tsinghua University Press, who did not overlook us due to our remote location but instead warmly provided this opportunity. As editors, we are deeply grateful to them.
The experimental guidance in botany cannot exclude (verification) content, and the understanding of knowledge innovation should not be too narrow. Any knowledge involves inheritance and innovation. The work of successors builds upon the foundation laid by pioneers, and their innovation may also be an extension of inheritance. Generation after generation inherits and innovates, and humanity's desire to explore and expand knowledge is boundless. As the saying goes, "Standing on the shoulders of giants" can help us reach new heights more quickly. Therefore, we do not fully agree with the notion of opposing verification experiments. For example, in human anatomy, a medical student can only master anatomical knowledge by dissecting organs one by one to verify their positions and numbers. It seems that there is no room for "creativity," just as Lu Xun was criticized by his teacher for slightly moving a blood vessel in a dissection diagram to make it look better. As an old saying goes, "Science is a serious matter; there is no room for half-truths."
In the experimental content, we place great emphasis on fundamental knowledge and the cultivation of students' basic experimental skills and independent working abilities. For instance, in systematic botany experiments, we have included content on identifying unknown plants and incorporated open-ended experiments to expand students' autonomy and practical learning time, which may help develop their interest and abilities. Schools can flexibly adapt these contents when using the textbook.
The experiments in the morphology and anatomy section were rewritten by Xin Guorong and Li Yunqin, with the original drafts provided by Li Xiaoju and Feng Hu yuan. The experiments on spore plants were rewritten by Liu Weiqiu, with the original drafts provided by Li Xiaoju and Feng Hu yuan. The experiments on seed plants were rewritten by Shi Xianggang, with the original drafts provided by Ye Chuangxing and Feng Hu yuan. The experiments on molecular plant systematics were written by Huang Jiaolin. The experiments on plant fossils were written by Jin Jianhua, plant specimen preparation by Feng Hu yuan, paraffin sectioning, modern pollen preparation, and observation by Ye Chuangxing. The entire book was compiled by Ye Chuangxing.
We are very pleased to welcome colleagues from domestic universities to use our textbook. Although we also hope to compile a botany experimental manual with greater flexibility, allowing different schools to choose content, it is not easy to achieve this given the vast territory of China and the diverse sources of experimental plants. Additionally, due to our remote location and limited knowledge, there may be many errors. In conclusion, we hope users will provide valuable feedback so that corrections can be made for future editions.