18 FUNDAMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS 



Physiology. — Biology in attention to functions is Physiology. We 

 have therefore both animal and plant anatomy, and animal and plant 

 physiology. 



Botany. — Biology relating to plants is Botany. 



Gross and Minute Anatomy. — Owing to the totally different methods 

 of examination employed in the two cases, it becomes of the greatest 

 convenience to divide anatomy, in practice, into two parts. That part 

 depending upon observations which can be pursued without the aid of 

 the compound microscope is knowai as Gross Anatomy. That which 

 requires such aid is Minute Anatomy, or Histology. 



Microscopical Botany. — Applied to botany, the latter is commonly 

 known as Microscopical Botany, a term which, though incongruous, 

 possesses the excellent merit of being highly convenient and generally 

 expressive. 



As the study of botany involves the use of physics and chemistry* 

 it is apparent that when so applied they become parts of botany, just 

 as botany becomes a part of physics or chemistry when applied in the 

 pursuit of those branches. The propriety of such terms as "chemical 

 botany" or "botanical chemistry" is thus explained. 



Departments of Botany. — The departments of botany, and the manner 

 in which one may arise from the necessities of another and contribute 

 to it, may be illustrated as follows: 



Systematic Botany. — It being understood that no plants are now in 

 existence which existed in the beginning, all having originated through 

 changes effected in some manner in those which formerly existed, one 

 of the great objects of botanical study is to ascertain the genetic rela- 

 tionships which exist between plants and to constitute such a systematic 

 arrangement of them as shall, so far as practicable, indicate the lines 

 and order of their development from others, that is, of their Phylogeny, 

 This department constitutes Systematic Botany. 



Structural Botany. — Since such classification is based chiefly upon 

 structure, it is necessary that there should be a department known as 

 Structural Botany. 



Physiological Botany. — Before the facts ascertained by the struc- 

 tural botanist can be utilized in classification, it is necessary that the 

 relative ranks of the structural characteristics should be determined. 

 Of any two structural characteristics, that which was first developed, 

 or is the older in creation, should form the basis of the primary division 

 of the group, the other of a subdivision. In ascertaining such relative 

 ranks, a consideration of the uses of the several characters is of great 



