Scribd
Upload
147 views6 pages

Botany 101

The document summarizes the evolution of life on Earth from its earliest origins around 4 billion years ago to the emergence of vascular plants. It describes how organic molecules formed in the oceans from lightning and solar energy. Early life forms that consumed these molecules eventually gave rise to autotrophs like photosynthetic bacteria that could produce their own organic compounds. Around 2 billion years ago, these released oxygen into the atmosphere. Multicellular plants first appeared around 650 million years ago as algae near shorelines. They later evolved vascular tissue that allowed them to transport food and grow larger.

Uploaded by

sujuandy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
147 views6 pages

Botany 101

The document summarizes the evolution of life on Earth from its earliest origins around 4 billion years ago to the emergence of vascular plants. It describes how organic molecules formed in the oceans from lightning and solar energy. Early life forms that consumed these molecules eventually gave rise to autotrophs like photosynthetic bacteria that could produce their own organic compounds. Around 2 billion years ago, these released oxygen into the atmosphere. Multicellular plants first appeared around 650 million years ago as algae near shorelines. They later evolved vascular tissue that allowed them to transport food and grow larger.

Uploaded by

sujuandy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

BOTANY

The Story of Life on Earth

The earth is about 5 billon years old. A meteor hit earth about

1bn years after it was created, keeping it hot. When it started to

cool, it suffered from violent storms, complete with lightning and

the release of electrical energy. Volcanoes erupted, producing molten

rock and boiling water. This interaction of lightning, rain and solar

energy on gases formed organic molecules that accumulated in the

oceans.

Figure 1: What earth may have looked like 4 billion years ago

These organic molecules were a source of energy for the

earliest form of life. However, these heterotrophs (Greek heteros,

“other”, and trophos, “feeder”), cells consume such organic

compounds for energy, grew in number, making them scarce.

Over time, some cells evolved and were able to make their own

energy-rich molecules from simple inorganic materials. They are

called autotrophs or “self-feeders”. The most successful ones were

1
able to make use of sunlight for photosynthesis, releasing oxygen

into the atmosphere about 2 billion years ago.

Some of the oxygen became ozone molecules. About 450 million

years ago, there was enough ozone to provide protection for organisms

to survive on the surface of water and land.and life began on land.

Figure 2. Earth’s Atmosphere

Another important effect of the increase in oxygen was that

organisms could now break down carbon- containing molecules made

during photosynthesis through respiration.

This increasein oxygen levels was also followed by the

appearance of eukaryotic cells about 2.1billion years ago. Before,

only prokaryotic cells existed.

2
Figure 3. First Eukaryotic Cells

The appearance of plants

At first, the main photosynthetic organisms were microscopic

cells floating below the surface of waters. As the mineral resources

of the open ocean depleted with the increase in cellular colonies,

life increased near shores where the waters were rich in nitrates and

minerals carried down from mountains.

The more complicated rocky coast created evolutionary

pressures; producing organisms that are more complex and diversified.

About 650 million years ago, cells started linking together to become

integrated and multicellular. These were the early stages in the

evolution of plants, fungi, and animals.

Multicellular photosynthetic organisms were better able to

withstand waves and soon new forms developed that had strong cell

walls and specialised structures that anchored them to rocky

surfaces.

3
Figure 4. The Evolution of Plants

Later, specialised food-conducting tissues evolved that

extended the length of their bodies, connecting the upper,

photsynthesising parts with those lower down that don’t; solving the

problem of how it could supply food to the latter as they grew in size.

This is performed through the vascular system in the stem that

is mainly made up of the xylem and the phloem. This system also

gives this main group of plants their name; vascular plants.

Activities

1. Draw a timeline showing the coming of life on earth till the

existence of vascular plants.


2. Find out what plants existed during the :
a. Paleozoic era
b. Mesozoic era
c. Cenozoic era
3. Read pages 174-178 of your textbook. (secondary)
4. Answer the questions in pages 72-73 of your workbook

(secondary)
5. Read pages 100-105 of your textbook. (primary)

4
6. Carry out the activity in pages 12-13 of “Living Things”.

(primary)

Figure 5. Timeline of Life

5
6

You might also like