Plant Physiology and Development

The field of plant physiology includes the study of all the internal activities of plants-those chemical and physical processes associated with life as they occur in plants. This includes study at many levels of scale of size and time. At the smallest scale are molecular interactions of photosynthesis and internal diffusion of water, minerals, and nutrients. At the largest scale are the processes of plant development, seasonality, dormancy and reproductive control. Major sub disciplines of plant physiology include phytochemistry and phytopathology. The scope of plant physiology as a discipline may be divided into several major areas of research. Plant physiology is a sub discipline of botany concerned with the functioning, or physiology, of plants. Closely related fields include plant morphology (structure of plants), plant ecology (interactions with the environment), phytochemistry (biochemistry of plants), call biology, genetics, biophysics and molecular biology. Fundamental processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, plant nutrition, plant hormone functions, tropisms, nastic movements, photoperiodism, photomorphogenesis, circadian rhythms, environmental stress physiology, seed germination, dormancy and stomata function and transpiration, both parts of plant water relations, are studied by plant physiologists. This comprehensive and stimulating text summarizes present scientific knowledge in plant physiology. It is an insightful compilation offering a comprehensive account of the fundamental principles of plant physiology. Contents: 1. Phenomena in Plant Physiology 2. Physiology: Plant Growth and Development 3. Plant Physiology: The Integration of Disciplines 4. Development of Photosynthesis 5. Plant Water Relations 6. Plant Cell Development 7. Plant Relations with Soil and Water