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| Preface | |
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| Introducing plants | |
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| The beginning: the evolution of plants and the major divisions | |
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| Conquering the land | |
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| The evolution of lignin | |
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| Plants and mass extinction | |
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| Floristic kingdoms, biogeography and biomes | |
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| What makes a plant? | |
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| Structure of the whole plant | |
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| Structure of the plant cell | |
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| Chloroplasts and other plastids | |
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| The vacuole | |
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| Microbodies | |
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| The cell wall | |
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| Plasmodesmata | |
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| Photosynthesis: the ultimate in autotrophy | |
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| Light harvesting | |
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| Leaf form | |
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| Chlorophyll and the chloroplast | |
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| Converting light energy into chemical energy | |
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| Photosystem I | |
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| Photosystem II | |
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| The Calvin cycle | |
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| The cycle and its functions | |
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| Regeneration | |
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| CO[subscript 2] fixation or carboxylation | |
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| Synthetic flux | |
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| Regulatory enzymes | |
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| The remarkable role of RUBISCO | |
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| Photorespiration | |
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| The troubles with photosynthesis | |
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| The solution to the problem | |
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| Carbohydrate synthesis and storage | |
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| The major carbohydrates of photosynthesis | |
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| Sucrose | |
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| Starch | |
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| The fate of carbon fixed during photosynthesis | |
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| The efficiency of photosynthesis | |
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| Non-photosynthetic metabolism | |
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| Phloem transport | |
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| Structure of the phloem | |
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| Phloem loading | |
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| Phloem unloading | |
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| Coping with damage to the phloem | |
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| The sink tissues | |
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| How is sink strength dictated? | |
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| Metabolism of carbohydrate | |
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| Respiration | |
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| Storage of carbohydrate or lipid | |
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| Potatoes and starch storage | |
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| Bananas and starch storage and ripening | |
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| Sugarcane and the storage of sucrose | |
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| Grapes and developing fruit | |
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| Peanuts and lipid storage | |
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| Growth and the synthesis of cell components | |
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| Sink regulation of photosynthesis | |
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| Roots and the uptake of water | |
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| Types of root | |
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| Functions of roots | |
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| Structure of roots | |
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| Shoot and root growth | |
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| Interaction with the soil | |
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| Uptake of water | |
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| Osmosis | |
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| Loading and movement in the xylem | |
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| Structure of the xylem | |
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| Cohesion-tension theory of water movement in the xylem | |
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| Transpiration rates | |
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| Cavitation | |
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| Stomata | |
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| Stomatal function | |
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| Mineral nutrition of plants | |
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| Soil structure and mineral ions | |
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| General ion uptake | |
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| Phosphorus uptake and assimilation | |
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| Nitrogen uptake and assimilation | |
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| Amino acid synthesis | |
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| Symbiotic nitrogen fixation | |
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| Iron uptake and assimilation | |
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| Sulphur uptake and assimilation | |
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| Function and effects of deficiencies of mineral ions on plants | |
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| Major elements | |
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| Other important major elements | |
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| Minor elements | |
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| Mycorrhizal associations and saprophytic nutrition | |
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| Mycorrhizal associations | |
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| Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal associations | |
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| Orchidaceous mycorrhizal associations | |
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| Ectomycorrhiza | |
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| Ericaceous mycorrhiza | |
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| Ericoid mycorrhiza | |
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| Arbutoid mycorrhiza | |
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| Monotropoid mycorrhiza | |
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| Ectendomycorrhiza | |
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| Development of the mycorrhizal association | |
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| The role of the mycorrhizal association | |
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| Saprophytic nutrition | |
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| Parasitic plants | |
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| Establishing a parasitic relationship | |
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| Facultative parasitic plants | |
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| Obligate parasitic plants - hemiparasites | |
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| Obligate parasitic plants - holoparasites | |
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| Parasitic species other than the dicotyledons | |
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| Carnivorous plants | |
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| Carnivory: the search for a definition | |
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| Why have some plants turned to carnivory? | |
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| Trapping mechanisms | |
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| The pitfall trap - North American pitcher plant | |
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| Active spring trap - bladderworts | |
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| Sticky flypaper - sundews | |
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| Asexual and sexual reproduction | |
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| Asexual reproduction | |
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| Roots | |
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| Stems | |
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| Leaves | |
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| Apomixis | |
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| Sexual reproduction | |
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| Wind-based pollination | |
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| Insect-based pollination | |
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| Pollination | |
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| Mechanisms for improving cross-fertilization | |
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| Self-incompatibility mechanisms | |
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| Gametophytic incompatibility | |
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| Sporophytic incompatibility | |
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| Seed development | |
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| Plant growth | |
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| Types of growth | |
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| Cell division and the cell cycle | |
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| Polyploidy in plants | |
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| Seed formation and germination | |
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| The dividing meristem | |
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| Shoot apical meristem | |
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| Leaf primordia | |
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| Root apical meristem | |
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| The origin of root hairs | |
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| The origin of lateral roots | |
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| Flower development | |
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| Vascular cambium and secondary growth | |
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| Intercalary meristem | |
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| Cell death | |
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| Plant growth regulators and cell growth | |
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| Plant movement | |
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| Tropism and nastic movements | |
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| Tropic movements | |
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| Auxins and plant movement | |
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| Phototropism | |
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| Heliotropism | |
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| Gravitropism | |
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| Sensing gravity | |
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| Hydrotropism | |
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| Thigmotropism | |
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| Chemotropism | |
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| Nastic movements | |
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| Nyctinasty (sleep movements) | |
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| Seismonasty | |
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| Thermonasty | |
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| Epinasty | |
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| Circumnutation | |
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| Plants and stress | |
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| Adaptations to drought stress | |
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| Crassulacean acid metabolism | |
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| C4 photosynthesis | |
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| Resurrection plants | |
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| Adaptations to salt stress | |
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| Adaptations to flooding stress and anoxia | |
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| Adaptations to cold stress | |
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| Adaptations to heat stress | |
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| Plant senses and perceiving the world | |
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| Sensing light (sight) | |
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| Protochlorophyllide | |
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| Phytochromes | |
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| Seed germination | |
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| Shade-avoidance response | |
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| How do phytochromes work? | |
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| Phytochromes and ion movement | |
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| Phytochromes and regulation of gene expression | |
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| Cryptochrome | |
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| Sensing time | |
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| Circadian clock | |
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| Photoperiodism | |
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| Sensing touch (feeling) | |
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| Sensing wind and vibrations | |
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| Sensing chemicals (taste) | |
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| Communicating (smell) | |
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| Ethylene | |
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| Ripening fruits | |
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| Pathogenic defence and stress responses | |
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| Abscission | |
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| Detection of ethylene | |
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| Jasmonic acid | |
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| Nitric oxide | |
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| Sensing sounds (hearing) | |
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| Seed dispersal, dormancy and germination | |
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| Seed dispersal | |
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| Gravity-mediated dispersal | |
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| Wind-mediated dispersal | |
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| Water-mediated dispersal | |
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| Animal-mediated dispersal | |
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| Importance of post-dispersal mechanisms | |
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| Dormancy and germination | |
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| Recalcitrant seeds | |
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| Dormant seeds | |
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| Factors governing dormancy and germination | |
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| Presence of germination inhibitors | |
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| Presence of inhibitory tissues | |
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| Presence of germination promoters | |
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| Light | |
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| Temperature | |
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| Oxygen | |
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| Soil conditions | |
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| Gibberellic acid | |
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| Cytokinins | |
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| Ethylene | |
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| Smoke signals | |
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| Pyrogenic flowering | |
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| Serotiny | |
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| The role of heat in fires | |
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| Chemicals in smoke that trigger germination | |
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| Interactions with the animal kingdom | |
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| Animal-mediated pollination | |
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| Mimicry in plants | |
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| Batesian mimicry | |
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| Mimicry of toxic or poisonous species | |
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| Rewardless flowering | |
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| Lithops | |
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| Grass species as crop weeds | |
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| Mullerian mimicry | |
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| Aggressive mimicry | |
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| Egg mimics | |
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| The bee orchids | |
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| Pollination in the Araceae | |
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| Seed dispersal and food reserves: the role of humans | |
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| Plant defences | |
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| Physical defence structures | |
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| The cuticle | |
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| The cell wall | |
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| The cell wall as a passive barrier | |
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| The cell wall as an active barrier | |
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| Poisons by injection or touch | |
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| Chemical defences | |
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| Terpenes | |
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| Pyrethrins | |
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| Phenolic-based defence chemicals | |
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| Coumarins | |
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| Isoflavenoids | |
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| Tannins | |
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| Nitrogen-containing organic compounds | |
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| Non-protein amino acids | |
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| Proteinase and amylase inhibitors | |
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| Cyanogenic glycosides | |
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| Glycosinolates | |
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| Lectins | |
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| Alkaloids | |
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| Defence reactions and signal pathways | |
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| Jasmonic acid | |
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| Salicylic acid | |
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| Systemin | |
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| Phytoalexins | |
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| Allelopathy | |
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| Recognizing self | |
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| Mimicry and the enrolment of other organisms for protection | |
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| Plants and medicines | |
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| Doctrine of signatures | |
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| Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis) | |
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| Greater celandine (Chelidonium majus) | |
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| Viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare) | |
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| Common self-heal (Prunella vulgaris) | |
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| Sage (Salvia officinalis) | |
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| Ethnobotany | |
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| The origins of aspirin | |
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| The origins of antimalarial drugs | |
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| St. John's Wort (Hypericum spp.) | |
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| Natural alternatives to Viagra | |
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| Natural treatments for AIDS | |
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| A cure for certain cancers | |
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| Vincristine and vinblastine | |
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| Etoposide and teniposide | |
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| Topotecan and irinotecan | |
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| Taxol | |
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| Sustainable development of medicines from plants | |
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| Plant tissue culture and the rise of plant biotechnology | |
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| The development of plant tissue culture media | |
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| Components of the medium | |
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| Major elements | |
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| Minor elements | |
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| Carbohydrates | |
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| Vitamins | |
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| Plant growth regulators | |
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| Auxins | |
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| Cytokinins | |
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| Gibberellins | |
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| Abscisic acid | |
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| Tissue culture sterility | |
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| Types of plant tissue culture | |
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| Applications of plant tissue culture | |
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| Micropropagation | |
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| Cloning | |
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| Genetic manipulation | |
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| Hybridization | |
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| Dihaploid plants | |
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| Removal of viruses from plant tissues | |
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| Generation of somaclonal variation | |
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| Remarkable plants | |
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| Insect mimicry in the orchidaceae | |
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| Venus flytrap | |
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| The oldest and biggest plants in the world | |
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| Tallest plants | |
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| Cycads | |
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| Welwitschia mirabilis | |
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| The castor bean plant | |
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| Garlic | |
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| Theobroma cacao | |
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| Wheat and agriculture | |
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| Glossary | |
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| Index | |