ELEMENTS OF BOTANY. 



INTRODUOTIOK 



Biology is a term now used to denote tlie study of all 

 living things or organisms, namely, Plants and Animals. 

 These, as contrasted with minerals or inorganic matter, are, 

 in general, distinguished by the possession of organs, or 

 special parts of their structure, designed to perform cer- 

 tain functions. The very lowest or simplest forms of living 

 matter, however, are often so homogeneous and structure- 

 less, or " organless," that they are with difficulty separated 

 from some of the complex, inorganic substances ; in other 

 words, there is the most intimate connection between the 

 mineral, or inorganic, and the organic kingdoms. Between 

 the commoner and widely-divergent representatives of 

 these, as, for example, between a crystal of quartz and a 

 tree or a toad, there are numerous patent, distinguishing 

 characteristics, besides the absence or presence of organs ; 

 prominent among which is the fact of parentage, or power 

 on the part of organisms to reproduce themselves, and so, 

 by ofispring, perpetuate their kind. 



That department of Biology, which treats of plants, is 

 called Botany. It is almost inseparable from Zoology, 

 which treats of Animals ; for the lowest organisms can 



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