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Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany

Where to Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany

24.
Modifying the Genes of Plants
2017-04-28
Genetically modified organisms are in the news almost every day. They are lauded for solving numerous agricultural problems and reviled for their perceived "Frankenstein" nature.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 24 Now

23.
Bad Plants Aren't So Bad
2017-04-28
About 600 species of plants eat animals. Others are outfitted with poison-injecting hairs you do not want to trigger.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 23 Now

22.
Alpine Cold Makes Plants Do Funny Things
2017-04-28
Alpine plants face a short growing season, freezing nights almost year-round, extraordinarily high light levels on cloudless days, fierce wind, and severe lack of moisture. Learn how the unique rosette and cushion morphologies allow alpine plants to thrive in this environment - as well as provide a sheltered place for other plants to germinate - and how heliotropism aids in pollination.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 22 Now

21.
How Temperate Trees Change Color and Grow
2017-04-28
Trees are a wonderful example of convergent evolution. While many trees are evergreen and others are drought deciduous, temperate trees lose their leaves in the winter because the trade-off of keeping a leaf from freezing doesn't offset the photosynthetic gain.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 21 Now

20.
The Desert Bonanza of Plant Shapes
2017-04-28
Deserts contain the largest variety of plant shapes on earth. Along with these multiple morphological adaptations to a lack of water, desert plants have also developed an alternative pathway to photosynthesis, opening their stomata at night, storing the CO2, and using it during the day with closed stomata, thereby avoiding daytime water loss.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 20 Now

19.
Shrublands of Roses and Wine
2017-04-28
Not an herb and not a tree, shrubs' in-between status carries ecological advantages allowing them to grow almost everywhere. Many are fire-adapted, some communicate through volatile organic compounds released by the leaves, and others exude chemicals from their roots that prevent other plants from growing nearby.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 19 Now

18.
The Complexity of Grasses and Grasslands
2017-04-28
The grassland ecosystem - steppe, prairie, savanna, and rangeland - is found on every continent except Antarctica. Estimated to cover almost one-third of the land area of the planet, grasses developed unusual adaptations related to the location of their growth tissue and their specific mechanism of photosynthesis.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 18 Now

17.
Why the Tropics Have So Many Plant Species
2017-04-28
From the shade-adapted plants living on the rainforest floor to the epiphytes in the top of the canopy - and the myriad plants and animals in between - tropical regions are the most diverse ecosystems on land. Learn about the unique ways in which bromeliads, orchids, and lianas, among others, "make their living" near the top of this diverse ecosystem.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 17 Now

16.
Water Plants Came from Land
2017-04-28
Learn how seagrasses, mangroves, and other aquatic plants evolved to tolerate low light levels, anaerobic and nutrient-poor sediments, and the difficulty of getting CO2 into submerged leaves and stems. They also benefit surrounding ecosystems by keeping excess nutrients from the ocean, trapping river and ocean-floor sediments, and providing habitat and protection for animals.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 16 Now

15.
Plant Seeds Get Around
2017-04-28
The evolution of the seed was a major advantage for land plants. But unlike gymnosperms, the flowering plants produce a fruit around that seed, aiding in germination, dispersal, or both.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 15 Now

14.
The Many Forms of Fruit: Tomatoes to Peanuts
2017-04-28
If you think you know the difference between a fruit, a nut, and a fungus - think again. Learn the real difference between nuts, fruits, and seeds, and why so many foods we eat carry misleading common names.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 14 Now

13.
The Coevolution of Who Pollinates Whom
2017-04-28
Which came first - the pollen or the pollinator? Learn about the special evolutionary relationship between specific flowers and the insects, birds, and mammals that play a necessary role in plant reproduction.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 13 Now

12.
Secrets of Flower Power
2017-04-28
Flowering plants arrived relatively late in geological time. But once here, they evolved quickly and often displaced many other types of plants.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 12 Now

11.
Why Conifers Are Holiday Plants
2017-04-28
Meet the conifers, well-adapted to snow, wind, fire, and low-nutrient soils. Learn how the unique properties of conifers allow them to claim the largest forest on Earth, the oldest living tree, and the tallest plant - with a growth rate of up to six feet per year.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 11 Now

10.
Advent of Seeds: Cycads and Ginkgoes
2017-04-28
While spores have continued to provide effective reproduction through the millennia, evolution has led to several successful alternatives. In a little package of embryonic roots, stems, leaves, and nourishment, a seed offers the ability to lie dormant until conditions are right for the highest chance of survival.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 10 Now

9.
Days and Years in the Lives of Plants
2017-04-28
How do plants "choose" the best time to flower? Do they sense the daylight hours becoming longer in the springtime?

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 9 Now

8.
Photosynthesis Everyone Should Understand
2017-04-28
Green plants generate their mass - whether the mass of the smallest blade of grass or the tallest tree on Earth - by synthesizing food from carbon dioxide and water via the energy from sunlight with the help of appropriate enzymes. See how the fascinating details of photosynthesis separate the plants from the animals.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 8 Now

7.
The Leaf as a Biochemical Factory
2017-04-28
Plants "know" when to shed their leaves or grow new ones via the same mechanism that causes the many developmental changes in our own bodies: hormones. Learn about the hormones that affect leaf growth and abscission - and the role played by Charles Darwin in their discovery.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 7 Now

6.
Stems Are More Than Just the In-Between
2017-04-28
Learn how the pressure flow hypothesis models the movement of sugars through the plant's phloem and xylem, and what plant structures determine whether the organism will grow in height, girth, or both. And while the stem functions to support the plant's branches and leaves, in some plants the stem is also the site of photosynthesis.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 6 Now

5.
Roots and Symbiosis with Non-Plants
2017-04-28
Photosynthesis might be the "star," but what takes place under the soil is just as imperative for plant survival. In fact, the root is so important that it's the first evidence of germination in the seed.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 5 Now

4.
Fern Spores and the Vascular Conquest of Land
2017-04-28
Botanists still struggle to unravel the full evolutionary history of ferns, hardy plants of staggering reproductive and colonization power. With billions of lightweight spores produced by each individual and the vasculature to transport nutrients throughout the plant, ferns are found in low-light and bright-light environments from the arctic regions to the tropics.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 4 Now

3.
Moss Sex and Peat's Engineered Habitat
2017-04-28
More than 425 million years ago, a group of plants called bryophytes developed two special adaptations that allowed them to inhabit dry land. Why are these early plants still so important today, both environmentally and commercially?

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 3 Now

2.
Plants Are Like People
2017-04-28
Although our biology is significantly different than that of plants, scientists are discovering more and more similarities. We share quite a bit of DNA, thrive in moderate temperatures, have a circadian rhythm of rest and activity, require water for life, and can sense our environment and respond.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 2 Now

1.
The Joy of Botany
2017-04-28
Although almost every child knows the difference between an elephant and a giraffe, few people of any age can name the plants they see out their window every single day. Solve this "plant blindness" by learning about the fascinating lifeforms to whom we owe so much: oxygen, food, medicine, materials - but also fascination and joy.

Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany Season 1 Episode 1 Now

Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany from The Great Courses Signature Collection from 2017 is a comprehensive educational series that offers viewers an immersive dive into the world of plants. This series is specifically designed to captivate audiences with the amazing world of botany, inviting them to take a fresh look at the wonders of the plant kingdom.

Throughout its run, the show hinges on the premise that plants are far more than just passive aspects of our landscape. These creations of nature are actually dynamic and complex life forms with engaging processes and systems that often go unnoticed or misunderstood. To bridge this gap of knowledge, the show seeks to unravel the intricacies of plant science through digestible and engaging content.

The leading light of this adventure-filled journey through plant life is Dr. Catherine Kleier, a Professor of Biology at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Kleier, with her vast knowledge and palpable passion for plants, wonderfully renders this scientific exploration accessible and exciting. She excels at connecting with viewers on an emotional level, evoking the sense of wonder and curiosity that underpins all great scientific investigation. The professor’s charismatic presentation ensures that complex scientific concepts are conveyed in a manner that is enjoyable and easy to understand, paving the way for a more significant appreciation of botany in all its glory.

The show comprises 24 episodes, each 30 minutes long, providing an exhaustive exploration of the diverse aspects of botany. From the magic of photosynthesis to the wonders of plant diversity, from the secret life of flowers to the vital role of plants in human history, this show covers a vast terrain. It unveils the secrets of plant life in a step-by-step, intuitive approach that makes botany accessible to even someone with no background in biology.

Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany serves as a potent bridge between humans and the plant world. It forces viewers to reconsider the role of plants in the eco-system and raises awareness about the criticality of plants in ensuring the planet’s survival. The show successfully balances providing insights about intricate biological processes involved in the plant life while also underscoring the wider role these plants play in shaping our ecosystems and life as we know it.

One of the stand-out features of the show is its top-tier production quality. The show employs high-definition visuals, a rich color palette, and innovative graphic illustrations that lend a vibrant aesthetic appeal to an already absorbing subject. These visuals work blindingly with the on-point narration, effectively facilitating learning-through-visualization.

Furthermore, the show does an excellent job of conveying the urgency of environmental conservation. It emphasizes how a deeper understanding of botany can prove instrumental in addressing current global issues, such as climate change and deforestation. Dr. Kleier consistently reiterates the importance of plants and their broad-scale implications for our planet. She further highlights how humanity's survival and prospect are interconnected with the preservation of plants and biodiversity at large.

However, the show is not limited to just academic theories. It offers practical demonstrations and guides on how to grow healthier plants and create more sustainable plant-based resources, making this series valuable not only for gardeners and environmental enthusiasts but also for individuals looking to make changes in their daily lives towards sustainability.

In conclusion, Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany from The Great Courses Signature Collection from 2017 is not just a show but a full-blown educational experience. It relays the complex world of plant life in an entertaining and digestible format, making botany accessible, practical, and fun. With an infectious enthusiasm, Dr. Catherine Kleier breathes life into the science of botany, inviting viewers to embark on a fascinating journey to understand, appreciate and ultimately, protect the marvel that is the plant kingdom. Whether you're a budding botanist, an environmental enthusiast, or simply a curious learner, this series is sure to engage, educate, and inspire.

Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany is a series categorized as a new series. Spanning 1 seasons with a total of 24 episodes, the show debuted on 2017. The series has earned a no reviews from both critics and viewers. The IMDb score stands at 0.0.

How to Watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany

How can I watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany online? Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany is available on The Great Courses Signature Collection with seasons and full episodes. You can also watch Plant Science: An Introduction to Botany on demand at Prime Video, Apple TV Channels, Amazon online.

Genres
Channel
The Great Courses Signature Collection
Rating
IMDB Rating
0.0/10
Cast
Catherine Kleier