Chapter 5
Morphology of
Flowering Plants
Chapter 6
Anatomy of Flowering
Plants
Chapter 7
Structural Organisation in
Animals
The description of the diverse forms of life on earth was made only by
observation – through naked eyes or later through magnifying lenses
and microscopes. This description is mainly of gross structural features,
both external and internal. In addition, observable and perceivable
living phenomena were also recorded as part of this description. Before
experimental biology or more specifically, physiology, was established
as a part of biology, naturalists described only biology. Hence, biology
remained as a natural history for a long time. The description, by itself,
was amazing in terms of detail. While the initial reaction of a student
could be boredom, one should keep in mind that the detailed description,
was utilised in the later day reductionist biology where living processes
drew more attention from scientists than the description of life forms
and their structure. Hence, this description became meaningful and
helpful in framing research questions in physiology or evolutionary
biology. In the following chapters of this unit, the structural organisation
of plants and animals, including the structural basis of physiologial or
behavioural phenomena, is described. For convenience, this description
of morphological and anatomical features is presented separately for
plants and animals.
KATHERINE ESAU was born in Ukraine in 1898. She studied
agriculture in Russia and Germany and received her doctorate
in 1931 in United States. She reported in her early publications
that the curly top virus spreads through a plant via the food-
conducting or phloem tissue. Dr Esau’s Plant Anatomy published
in 1954 took a dynamic, developmental approach designed to
enhance one’s understanding of plant structure and an
enormous impact worldwide, literally bringing about a revival
of the discipline. The Anatomy of Seed Plants by Katherine Esau
was published in 1960. It was referred to as Webster’s of plant
biology – it is encyclopediac. In 1957 she was elected to the
National Academy of Sciences, becoming the sixth woman to
receive that honour. In addition to this prestigious award, she
received the National Medal of Science from President George
Bush in 1989.
When Katherine Esau died in the year 1997, Peter Raven,
director of Anatomy and Morphology, Missouri Botanical
Garden, remembered that she ‘absolutely dominated’ the field
of plant biology even at the age of 99.
