ELEMENTS OF BIOLOGY 



PART I. BOTANY 



I. INTRODUCTION 



Science and Matter. — Science deals with that material which 

 occupies all the space around us, — the air, the water, and the 

 earth. This material is called matter. Matter is the building 

 material of the world in which we live. 



Matter exists in this world in two distinct states. It may be 

 living, or may have been alive at some previous time, in which case 

 we speak of it as organic matter; or it may never have been alive. 

 The latter state of matter is called inorganic. Hence we find 

 two groups of sciences which deal with matter: the biological 

 sciences, which treat of living matter; and the chemical and 

 physical sciences, which deal chiefly with inorganic matter. 



Biology. — Biology is the science which treats of matter in a 

 living state. The two subdivisions of biology, dealing with plant 

 life and animal life respectively, are called botany and zoology. 



Knowledge in Science gained by Observation. — Science has 

 been defined as " knowledge gained by exact observation and 

 correct thinking." First of all, science is a kind of knowledge. 

 It is accurate knowledge. But it is possible to acquire a mass of 

 knowledge not scientific with the sole aid of a text-book. Such 

 knowledge, for example, might be that of the Latin or the German 

 language. Scientific knowledge, according to our definition, must 

 be gained through observation, from the accurate study of a speci- 

 men, something that we may see and touch. It is not enough to 

 study a book alone; this may be an aid, but the specimen is, 

 after all, the main thing. If we were to fit ourselves for the trade 

 of a plumber or a carpenter or a mason, we certainly should not 

 depend upon a book for our information regarding our particular 



n. C. state Collegt 



