From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 01 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!bcm.tmc.edu!news.msfc.nasa.gov!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!winternet.com!ppp-66-53.dialup.winternet.com!user From: insthemp@winternet.com (Inst for Hemp) Newsgroups: bionet.plants,bionet.plants.education Subject: True Hemp Journal V6#4, Non-Drug Use of Cannabis Magazine Date: Thu, 02 Nov 1995 11:01:06 -0500 Organization: Institute for Hemp Lines: 73 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: ppp-66-53.dialup.winternet.com Xref: biosci bionet.plants:9057 bionet.plants.education:197 ******************************************************* TRUE HEMP JOURNAL Vol 6 #4 Nov/Dec 1995 ******************************************************* - Devoted to the NON-Drug Use of True Hemp. - Dedicated to providing accurate information about the Resurgence, History, Commercial Applications and Processing of True Hemp. - Printed entirely on Paper made from True Hemp or other Tree Free Papers. *********** IN THIS ISSUE: *********** ** USDA PRODUCES WHITE PAPER ON HEMP: Prepared this past summer at the request of USDA Heads. The entire document is in this issue. "Industrial Hemp and other Alternative Crops for small-scale Tobacco Producers" BY USDA Agricultural Research Service and Economic Research Service for Karl Stauber, Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. ** WIDA SPONSORS NAIHF: State Promotes Use Of Hemp Fiber From Marijuana Has Business Appeal By Jennifer A. Galloway Agriculture reporter ** MN TO INTRODUCE HEMP BILL: Rep Phyllis Kahn to introduce Legislation to Regulate Industrial Hemp Industry. A Bill for a Hemp Bill which Makes it the Dept of Ag's Business: ** NEWS BLIPS: Third Stone Expands US Hemp Convicted HIA Holds 2nd Annual Meeting Aveda Brings out Line of Clothing ** ITALIAN HEMP YARNS: The Italians get back into Hemp Yarns Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale begins production ** HEMP PLANTED IN AUSTRALIA: Seeds of Alternative Fibre Planted ** HISTORICAL: WPB Approves Hemp Production Program ********************************************* Subscription Rates: US CANADA FOREIGN 1 year (Six Issues) $15.00 $20.00 $25.00 2 year (Twelve Issues) $30.00 $40.00 $50.00 Outside the US Payment by Postal Money Order Only. ********************************************* **SPECIAL** While supplies last each new subscription gets a copy of our 1995 True Hemp Directory and Buyers Guide. Sold separately for $15.00 now FREE with a new subscription. ********************************************* Mail to: The True Hemp Journal, C/O The Institute for Hemp, PO Box 65130, St Paul, MN 55165 ********************************************* ------------------This message is brought to you by:------------------- -- The Institute for Hemp PO Box 65130 St Paul, MN 55165 -- -- e-mail: insthemp@winternet.com Phone/Fax 612-222-2628 -- -- Since 1989 Providing Accurate Info About Hemps Commercial Uses -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -- THREE SITES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB -- -- OUR HOME SITE IS http://www.winternet.com/~insthemp/ -- -- OR YOU CAN TRY ONE OF OUR MIRROR SITES -- -- http://hemp.org/INSTHEMP/i4hemp.html -- -- http://fornits.com/curiosity/insthemp/ -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -- "Make the Most of the Hemp Seed, Sow it Everywhere" G.Washington -- -- "Without a doubt, Hemp will continue to be one of the Staple -- -- Agricultural Crops in the United States" L.Dewey, USDA, 1916 -- -HEMP-FOR-VICTORY--HEMP-FOR-VICTORY--HEMP-FOR-VICTORY--HEMP-FOR-VICTORY- From owner-education@net.bio.net Thu Nov 02 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!daresbury!hgmp.mrc.ac.uk!sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk!dispatch.news.demon.net!demon!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!lade.news.pipex.net!pipex!news00.sunet.se!sunic!uunet!in1.uu.net!newstf01.news.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail From: gvsmeck@aol.com (GVSMeck) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Internet Seminar for (Plant) Educators Date: 3 Nov 1995 00:40:20 -0500 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Lines: 251 Sender: root@newsbf02.news.aol.com Message-ID: <47ca04$6ri@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Reply-To: gvsmeck@aol.com (GVSMeck) NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com Hope we don't offend anyone in your newsgroup by posting this, but some of you educators may be interested in an upcoming seminar, and we certainly didn't want to exclude the plant biology community . . . The Global Village Schools Institute cordially invites you and your colleagues to a hands-on seminar for educators, entitled ----------------------- HARNESS THE INTERNET ------ November 17th - 19th ------ ----------------------- The faculty is three educators at the forefront of educational uses of the Internet: * Robert Bortnick, Associate Supt., Arlington Heights, District #59, IL * Hal Gardner, Technology Director, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, NC * Jim Mecklenburger, Executive Director, Global Village School Institute Educators of all brands, public and private, are invited to explore the Internets's incredible potential for learning. The Global Village Schools Institute will be conducting Harness the Internet, the third in an ongoing series of three-day hands-on seminars November 17-19 at the University of Maryland. Registration is limited to 40 persons because of laboratory space; currently, less than a dozen spaces are available. [Subsequent events are being planned.] All levels of proficiency are welcome. Time: 1pm Friday, November 17, thru noon, Sunday November 19 Location: University of Maryland, College Park (adult education center) * Maximum of 40 participants due to limited lab space * For information or to register, email gvsmeck@aol.com or shmeck@cats.ucsc.edu or call 703-823-6853 or FAX 703-823-6819 --------------------------- our WORKING AGENDA is as follows: Harnessing The Internet, November 17-19, 1995 Please Note: We call this a "working agenda" because we intend to alter the agenda, as needed, to suit the needs of participants. We consider this event not a "workshop" (in which everyone learns precisely what the faculty chooses) but a seminar (where there is freedom to alter the agenda to suit the needs of participants, and people presume to learn from each other as well as from the faculty.) No two seminars are ever alike. While we have a general outline, we will rearrange the agenda as it suits the needs of attendees. For example, on Saturday, when people are working hands-on in the laboratory, some people may wish free time to explore while others are learning the basics of navigation and still others may wish to meet for a few minutes to work together to design a home page. At the end of Saturday, we will offer a series of discussions for Sunday morning based on the interests of the attendees.On Sunday, we meet in two or three groups to discuss issues on people's minds. Friday, November 17, 1995 Why are we here? 1:00 Opening Session; Jim Mecklenburger presiding. 1. The phenomenon of "The Internet" Where it came from; what it is; where it's going. 2. Icebreaker Activity Who are we all? What do we each want from this event? What experience do people bring? 3. The Faculty Who is the faculty? What experiences do they bring? 4. General discussion: Is the Internet just another educational fad? 2:00 Housekeeping details, expectations, objectives, hand-out materials. 2:15 Once over lightly: Quick demos of the array of functions of the Internet. FTP, Gopher, ListServ, Usenet Newsgroups, World Wide Web and others 2:45 Once over lightly, part 2: Discussion of connection issues. School networks, home computers, direct connections, commercial services, etc. 3:00 Break 3:15 Two school districts' experiences: An overview; Bob Bortnick and Hal Gardner presiding. Arlington Heights, District #59 and Charlotte-Mecklenburg are two of the nation's school districts making major commitments to uses of The Internet. How did this come about? What issues surfaced right away? What impact have they each had to date? What are their plans for the next months and years? What do teachers currently use the Internet for? Students? Administrators? World Wide Web sites are demonstrated, for each district. 4:15 First look at Issues and General Discussion. 1. What are the ways that teachers and students use (or can use) the Internet? At the lesson level. At the course level. In the out-of-class mode. As administrative support. What new opportunities are possible now that the Internet is available? 2. What are the policy implications, at the classroom, building and district levels? What unique issues arise because of the Internet? 3. What are the implications for staff development? What support helps people use the Internet well? How can the Internet contribute to staff development? 4. What, if anything, can use of the Internet replace? 5. Other issues 5:00 Some Celebrated Innovative Uses of The Internet. 5:20 Summing Up; Overnight Reading 5:30 Adjourn Saturday, November 18, 1995 Roll up your trowsers and get your feet wet 9:00 Introduction to the day's activities. Introduction to the laboratory. It is our intention, during this day, to give each person as much on-line time as they select. Accordingly, faculty will make presentations on various topics. But, if one or several people wish to explore on their own, this will be encouraged. Faculty who are not presenting can meet with smaller groups. Written materials and reference materials will be available to guide independent learners. Our goals are: 1) To assure that everyone has at least tasted the vast array of activities and opportunities on the Internet. 2) To assure that each person has used some of the leading applications currently available on and for the Internet. 3) To raise questions about the future of teaching, learning, administration, schools, communities, curriculum and other "staples" of schooling, in the era in which students and teachers have access to the Internet. 4) To answer questions, as they arise. 5) To suggest other activities, post-conference, worth additional exploration. 9:15 - 12:30 1:30 - 5:30 We have prepared 10 Topics as points of departure for the day: Topic I. Finding Great Information on the Internet. Guided tour of selected resources. Gopher, Archie, Veronica. WWW Browsers. Search Engines. Usenet. Listservs. FTP. Telnet. Topic II. Interacting with People on the Internet: Local Network interactions: Finger. "Talk". Zephyr programs. Worldwide interactions: Finger. E-mail. IRC. MUDs. Teleconerencing. Commerce on the Internet. Guided tour of interesting capabilities. Topic III. Using Topics I and II to join and form task- and interest-oriented Groups on the Internet. Topic IV. Learning via the Internet: How teacherless, guided, coached, and organized learning activities can all take place, often at the same time, in a cooperative networked learning community. What happens to these distinctions in such an environment? Topic V. Teaching via the Internet: Local & worldwide e-mail coaching & networking. Providing Courses on IRC. Running Listservs. Creating and Moderating Newsgroups. Publishing WWW, FTP, and Gopher sites. Topic VI. Sharing, Publishing, and Presence on the Internet: Your students' own personal Web sites or FTP servers? A place for them and you to do "business"? A place to "politic"? Topic VII. Today's "Hot" Internet Sites: These are some of the places that excite users and represent the next era of Internet practice. HotWired. IUMA. MIT's Media Lab. Topic VIII. Resources especially for Educators on the Internet. AskEric. Getty Center's Website. Museum archives. University and Government Internet presence. Homework Helper. Topic IX. Entertainment on the Internet: A Scavanger Hunt on the World Wide Web. Or lose yourself in a Multi-User Dimension. Check out the Inernet Underground Music Archive. Have fun! Topic X. Pornography and illegal activity on the Internet: Responding sensibly to real concerns. 5:30 Topics will be generated and selected for Sunday's roundtable discussions. The laboratory will be open from 6:30 to 9:30 for anyone wishing further opportunity to explore. Faculty will be present. Sunday, November 19, 1995 What does it all mean? 9:00 - 10:45 Meeting in roundtable discussion groups. 10:45 - 11:15 Each of the roundtables will report to the others in a brief session. 11:15 - 11:45 Faculty will offer closing remarks and respond to questions. Closing Remarks: James Mecklenburger Educating Jessica's Generation: The Art of the Educationally Possible in the Global Village 12:00 Adjourn. From owner-education@net.bio.net Thu Nov 02 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!CSV.WARWICK.AC.UK!secab From: secab@CSV.WARWICK.AC.UK (Dr B T Meatyard) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Staining DNA Date: 3 Nov 1995 04:10:36 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 31 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <15833.199511031208@crocus.csv.warwick.ac.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Dear Plant-edders, Since my posting about SAPS and NCBE protocols for extracting and manipulating DNA I have had a couple of queries relating to staining of DNA on gels, particularly from Barbara Moffat (whose transmission didn't contain an Email address) - if you're out there Barbara.... WE use either A) Methylene blue (0.1% in 0.5M Na acetate) and stain gels (ideally) overnight and then destain with one rinse of tapwater and then leave in fresh tapwater for about an hour - gels will keep for months if kept in the resulting dilute stain, particularly if refrigerated. OR B) Azure A (0.08% in 40% IMS) - the stain is poured onto the surface of the gel and left for 4 min. Stain is then poured off and reused. The surface of the gel is then rinsed with 70% ethanol for a few seconds and this is then discarded. The gel is then rinsed three or four times with tap water. The stain migrates into the gel and bands will be visible after 10min, but best results are obtained by leaving the gel in a sealed container to prevent drying out overnight. When I started this DNA work I used Meth blue, but in our workshops for teachers I now use the Azure A because it's faster. Sensitivity is about 20% that of ethidium bromide but with the amounts of DNA we use (0.5 to 1.0 microgram for each digest) this is not a problem. Hope this helps. Barry Meatyard, SAPS Programme, Inst of Ed, University of Warwick. From owner-education@net.bio.net Fri Nov 03 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!rutgers!csn!carbon!night.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!panek From: panek@an.hp.com (Jon Panek) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Need pointer to ref mat'l or articles Date: 3 Nov 1995 16:53:59 GMT Organization: HP Imaging Systems Division Lines: 33 Message-ID: <47dhf7$2tt@hpscit.sc.hp.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: hpanvi.an.hp.com X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1.4] My wife is working on a term paper and has had great difficulty finding any articles or books in area libraries which address her topic. She is researching two plants, Rhamnus Frangula (Alder Buckthorn) and Polygonum Cuspidatum (Japanese Knotweed) and wants to discuss the following issues: Are there any historic landscapes in which this plant was significantly planted? How do you eliminate this plant from a forest when it escapes? What habitat does this plant prefer? How common is this plant in Europe, where it is a native? If you know of any reference materials, articles or books which might shed light on these questions, could you please tell me? Thank you very much! -- Jonathan Panek Hewlett-Packard Imaging Systems Division 3000 Minuteman Road Andover, MA 01810 (508) 681-2866 ================================================== Delivered by Electronic Sled dogs......WOOF! INTERNET ADDRESS: panek@hpanvi.an.hp.com ================================================== From owner-education@net.bio.net Sun Nov 05 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!CS.Arizona.EDU!pimacc.pima.edu!east.pima.edu!gmcmillan Newsgroups: bionet.population-bio,bionet.plants,bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: Ideas for *real* SF writing workshop Message-ID: <1995Nov5.110010.1@east.pima.edu> From: gmcmillan@east.pima.edu Date: 5 Nov 95 11:00:10 MST Nntp-Posting-Host: east Nntp-Posting-User: gmcmillan Lines: 70 Xref: biosci bionet.population-bio:1637 bionet.plants:9092 bionet.plants.education:201 REQUEST FOR IDEAS: I am trying to put together a panel for next year's local Tucson, AZ, science fiction convention. Tying our science panels together with a follow-up to support creative activity has been lacking. There is very little to support young writers who might be more intellectually challenging than just spinners of Dungeons and Dragons-type stories. DO *YOU*HAVE ANY GERM IDEAS FOR SF BASED ON REAL SCIENCE THAT WE COULD THROW OUT TO A GROUP AND PLAY AROUND WITH? Background on the need for such a panel: ---------------------------------------- One of the interesting aspects of the growth of women's participation in SF and fantasy is that it has been steadily growing in the latter. The number of women who write stories that take, as their basis, a scientific, natural, or sociological phenomenon and logically explore its possibilities has been miniscule compared to the number of women who have taken up pen and sword to write sword and sorcery novels. I don't think that it would be over-interpretation to note that this is probably due to the conditioning that young girls get in school that steers them away from the sciences. The large market for space opera and fantasy may reflect the fact that there is a larger market for relaxation fiction than fiction that requires close attention and thought as some of the more tightly plotted hard science SF used to do. [There has always been a large dose of SF that was neither admirable from the literary standpoint, nor from the scientific, of course.] Our convention is niched by the dealers in the huckster room as a heavily "fantasy" con. So, little SF--even what there is out there-- shows up at the dealers' tables. What might help some younger writers to use science in their writing is some kind of a workshop during the Con where they could experiment with their ideas and beginnings for stories with a couple of scientists present along with a couple of writers... We had two panels devoted to science this time ("Why can't they get the science right?" and "New frontiers in Astronomy".) But there is no tie-in with writing when the science panels are held, unlike the mythic and costuming panels, which just sort of flow over into creative activities. The science panels seem to sit there, isolated, an obligatory lump, like wheeling old Aunt Margaret around after church so that she can nod at folks and they can nod back at her... Anyone interested in such a cross-cultural workshop: germinating ideas that could become science-based SF, especially encouraging young women writers? If so, I would be interested in hearing how you could envision some exercises that might act as spark plugs for this type of writing. I think that if more interest were shown and more support were given, we might have more activity on the science fiction front. Gloria McMillan *----------------*---------------*---------------*-----------------* gmcmillan@east.pima.edu http://east.pima.edu/ ESSAY COOPERATIVE http://pimacc.pima.edu/~gmcmillan/glowww.html *----------------*---------------*---------------*-----------------* From owner-education@net.bio.net Sun Nov 05 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!daresbury!sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk!dispatch.news.demon.net!demon!tank.news.pipex.net!pipex!news.uoregon.edu!chi-news.cic.net!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!news.starnet.net!wupost!news1.inlink.com!usenet From: raiar@inlink.com (Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: Mac vs DOS Date: 23 Oct 1995 23:03:34 GMT Organization: Inlink Lines: 50 Distribution: world Message-ID: <46h706$odh@news1.inlink.com> References: <199510181905.MAA28651@net.bio.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: slip70.inlink.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: Text/Plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I can give an unbiased opinion since I am working on a PC and have owned Mac's also. Almost everything I now own is DOS, not because it's better, it's the worst platform I ever used. If it were not for a company I worked for that required that we own PCs I would have never switched. I started with the Apple and upgraded through the Apples, through Lisa and then several Mac's. Every Mac outperformed and outshined DOS in every phase of operation it was put through without all the headaches everyone has with these damn PCs. Since you mentioned CDs, I'll also put my 2-bits in about them also. CDs are the biggest step backwards in technology that every hit the computer industry. The software manufacturer's through mega-advertising has just about got everyone (except me) convinced to go back to the old days of disk swapping to change from one program to another. Anyone who has been in computers long enough to remember the paper tape readers and punchers, the cassette tape era, the floppy drives with all the disk swapping and copyproof spiraling methods to protect disks, and finally the awesome harddrive with all your programs on ONE DISK instantly accessable will find it hard to revert back to the old disk swapping of programs that we were so glad to get away from. Of course, the software companies love going back to copy protection, even if it means a LARGE step backwards in technology. What good is a CD anyway, mass storage, what do you have that requires that type of unalterable mass storage? WOW, an entire encyclopedia on one disk! Big deal, two keystrokes and I have the latest EB on-line and I didn't have to waste time looking for the CD, removing the one in the drive and filing it safely away, loading it into the drive and looking up a word. Oooops, not enough memory to perform that function, close some windows and try again. Two hours and three lost documents later, ah, I finally found the word. Now let's see, what was I doing, why did I need that word in the first place. Hmmmmmmmm, I've lost my train of thought. CDs are just so wonderful and convenient, I think I'll throw away my harddrive and floppies and go back to cassette driven Trash 80s... People had better wake up quick and quit wasting their money on CDs before that's all the software companies start using and your harddrives become useless artifacts of days gone by, when instant program access was only a FAD enjoyed by those too lazy to swap disks for each program or database. Gary From owner-education@net.bio.net Mon Nov 06 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!AUCKLAND.AC.NZ!k.gould From: k.gould@AUCKLAND.AC.NZ (Kevin Gould) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: image analysis Date: 6 Nov 1995 21:38:30 -0800 Organization: Auck. Univ. School Biol. Sciences Lines: 17 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: Reply-To: k.gould@auckland.ac.nz NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net I am curious to know what image analysis packages other workers use in conjunction with Macintosh computers. My students and I regularly require the dimensions of cells and tissues from sections of fruit and leaves. We also study leaf shape, asking such questions as "what proportion of a leaf area is variegated". The package we have been using is the public domain freeware 'Image 1.57'. This works, but for our purposes it is often clumsy; images requre considerable editing, for example, before the package can identify discrete cells to tell us their cross sectional area. **************************************** * Dr. Kevin S.Gould * * School of Biological Sciences * * University of Auckland * * ph: 64-9-3737599 ext 7298 * * fax: 64-9-3737416 * * email: k.gould@auckland.ac.nz * **************************************** From owner-education@net.bio.net Mon Nov 06 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!daresbury!not-for-mail From: djt6@cornell.edu (Daniel J. Tennessen) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Position Description Date: 7 Nov 1995 17:39:43 -0000 Lines: 64 Sender: lpddist@mserv1.dl.ac.uk Distribution: bionet Message-ID: <47o5kv$5mv@mserv1.dl.ac.uk> X-Sender: djt6@postoffice4.mail.cornell.edu Original-To: plant-ed@dl.ac.uk Plant science educators and those of under-represented groups are encouraged to apply. Position Announcement Department of Education College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14853 Position: Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Education (Tenure track, 12 month position) Starting Date: Feb. 1, 1996 or as negotiated Effort Distribution: 60% Teaching and 40% Research Responsibilities: (1) Contribute to Cornell's secondary teacher education efforts in agricultural science, science, and mathematics education; (2) Teach undergraduate and graduate courses, advise students, supervise student teachers, and work with inservice teachers; (3) Cooperate with other units within the Department and College to promote public understanding about agriculture, science, and technology; and (4) Conduct a high quality program of research that bears on agricultural science education, and obtain external funding to support research and/or outreach. Qualifications: (1) Doctorate in Education or another appropriate field; (2) Experience providing teacher education for middle and/or secondary education; (3) Capacity to conduct quality educational research, and (4) Energy and vision to provide curricular and instructional leadership for an interdisciplinary effort in secondary education integrating agriculture, science, and mathematics education. Cornell seeks an individual with a solid grounding in one or more technical specialties relevant to agriculture, such as agricultural engineering, botany, ecology, or genetics. We wish to hire an individual who will bring innovative approaches to the field, and will consider applicants with non-traditional training and experience. Compensation: Commensurate with training and experience. An attractive fringe benefits package is available. Application: Applicants should submit a detailed letter of application addressing the responsibilities and qualifications enumerated above, c.v. (please include email address), and research-based writing samples, before Nov. 27, 1995 to: Professor Dawn Schrader, Search Committee Chair Department of Education NYS College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Kennedy Hall Ithaca, New York 14853 Additional information on the Department's program is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.cals.cornell.edu/dept/education/ ************************************************************ Dr. Daniel J. Tennessen Phone: 607-255-1799 Cornell University Fax: 607-255-9998 47 Plant Sciences Bldg. email:djt6@cornell.edu Ithaca, NY 14853 CENET:dan_tennessen@cce.cornell.edu ************************************************************* From owner-education@net.bio.net Mon Nov 06 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!ESSEX.UCHSC.EDU!melcherd From: melcherd@ESSEX.UCHSC.EDU (Dawn Melcher) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Plant Proteins Date: 7 Nov 1995 09:31:30 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 10 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Dear Netters: Can anyone help me compose a list of plant proteins that have been shown to have medicinal and/or therapeutic effect on mammalian cells. I am expectially interested in plant proteins from non-cultivatable plants. I would greatly appreciate any help. Thanks in advance. Dawn Melcher-Fuoco From owner-education@net.bio.net Mon Nov 06 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!CORNELL.EDU!djt6 From: djt6@CORNELL.EDU (Daniel J. Tennessen) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Position Description Date: 7 Nov 1995 07:05:38 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 64 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511071504.KAA29329@postoffice4.mail.cornell.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Plant science educators and those of under-represented groups are encouraged to apply. Position Announcement Department of Education College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14853 Position: Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Education (Tenure track, 12 month position) Starting Date: Feb. 1, 1996 or as negotiated Effort Distribution: 60% Teaching and 40% Research Responsibilities: (1) Contribute to Cornell's secondary teacher education efforts in agricultural science, science, and mathematics education; (2) Teach undergraduate and graduate courses, advise students, supervise student teachers, and work with inservice teachers; (3) Cooperate with other units within the Department and College to promote public understanding about agriculture, science, and technology; and (4) Conduct a high quality program of research that bears on agricultural science education, and obtain external funding to support research and/or outreach. Qualifications: (1) Doctorate in Education or another appropriate field; (2) Experience providing teacher education for middle and/or secondary education; (3) Capacity to conduct quality educational research, and (4) Energy and vision to provide curricular and instructional leadership for an interdisciplinary effort in secondary education integrating agriculture, science, and mathematics education. Cornell seeks an individual with a solid grounding in one or more technical specialties relevant to agriculture, such as agricultural engineering, botany, ecology, or genetics. We wish to hire an individual who will bring innovative approaches to the field, and will consider applicants with non-traditional training and experience. Compensation: Commensurate with training and experience. An attractive fringe benefits package is available. Application: Applicants should submit a detailed letter of application addressing the responsibilities and qualifications enumerated above, c.v. (please include email address), and research-based writing samples, before Nov. 27, 1995 to: Professor Dawn Schrader, Search Committee Chair Department of Education NYS College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Kennedy Hall Ithaca, New York 14853 Additional information on the Department's program is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.cals.cornell.edu/dept/education/ ************************************************************ Dr. Daniel J. Tennessen Phone: 607-255-1799 Cornell University Fax: 607-255-9998 47 Plant Sciences Bldg. email:djt6@cornell.edu Ithaca, NY 14853 CENET:dan_tennessen@cce.cornell.edu ************************************************************* From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 08 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!MTU.EDU!jmglime From: jmglime@MTU.EDU ("Janice M. Glime") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: poison berries (fwd) Date: 9 Nov 1995 07:20:37 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 399 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511091520.KAA21401@biosrv1.bio.mtu.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net > Dear BL101'ers, Plant Edders, and Biolabbers, > I promised to send you the responses from students and professionals on > poison berries. I submitted the questions to three lists and as a bonus > question to my first term freshman biology majors. I apologize that these are > not in any particular order, but I don't know of any way to move things > around in this editor. The original question is a few screens down and was > asked by Stacy Ciufo. > Janice > *********************************** > Janice M. Glime > Department of Biological Sciences > Michigan Technological University > Houghton, MI 49931-1295 > jmglime@mtu.edu > 906-487-2546 > FAX 906-487-3167 > *********************************** > > > From Adrienne Chopp BL 101- Lab 02: > > In response to the bonus question about why certain plants make poisonous > fruit, I have a couple of hypotheses. > > 1) Plants make poisonous fruit because the fruit will keep away > predators from the plant. Seeing the fruit is most obvious to be seen, > animals and humans will want to pick and eat the fruit; henceforth, much > energy will be lost to the plant in the picking of the fruit. Once > predators realize this fruit is poisonous, they will then leave the plant > the alone allowing for the plant to carry on it's lifestyle in a normal > pattern. > 2) Plants make poisonous fruit for it is a way in which the plant > reproduces. In the making of the poisonous fruit, the plant puts forth a > great deal of energy; however it is beneficial to the reproduction of > the plant once the fruit is completed. For when the fruit is picked by > predators at harvest time, it is carried away from the plant to be eaten. So > once the fruit is bitten into, the predator realizes it is poisonous and > drops the fruit containing seeds. In turn these seeds will implant > themselves in the ground and begin the life of another poisonous plant. > > From a professional: > >Why then, do some plants go through the biochemical trouble to > >produce POISON fruit (such as berries)? > > I am going to speculate, because I know of no details for specific examples > to assist me. > > 1. Poison fruits might not stay poisonous forever. > There are fruits rejected by birds all fall, but > over winter biochemical changes occur that render > the fruits palatable by spring. This could be a > strategy to ensure sufficient ripening of fruits > and maturity of seeds before dispersal. Some Viburnums, > Berberis, Parthenocissus, and Cornus could be some > possible examples (but again, this is speculation). > > 2. Poisons are not always generic. It is possible that > a poison for one frugivore, might not be poisonous > to the seed disperser. I am speculating that evolution > might result in a mammal-toxin that prevents humans > from eating and digesting both fruit and seed, but > which is not a bird-toxin, permitting birds to digest > fruit but pass seeds. The mammal-toxin thus improves > the chances for seed dispersal via birds. Possible > examples here might be Toxicodendron and Rhus vernix. > > 3. "Toxins" might just be adaptive too! The reason > you don't want to eat Rhamnus cathartica fruits is > a cathartic drug. The discomfort causes us to list > the fruits as "toxic" but in fact, by including the > cathartic, evolution provides the plant with a way > to ensure that seeds are carried away, but *not* digested > by a mammal. > > There may be someone out there who can give details > on specific examples and the toxins used, but maybe > these ideas will get students to think on their own > about other strategies that evolution might have > provided. Sounds like a thought provoking topic for > cooperative group activities! > > Here is a parallel topic: > Try sprouting some lettuce seeds in fruit juices... > interestingly, though moist and warm and provided with > light, the seeds do not sprout! The germination toxin > is to prevent premature germination in a warm, moist > fruit. Abscisic acid may be the active agent in these > juices. Thus tomato seeds in the rotten fruits in your > autumn garden do not sprout until the snow-melt and > cold wash away and degrade the Abscisic acid. Then the > seeds are germinable in the spring. Thus toxins can > be adaptive and their content can be reduced by a winter > of weathering and biochemistry. > > From Andrea Peterman, BL101: > > > > I think that I might have a hypothesis about the poison berries. I think > > that maybe the plants take the time and energy to produce poisonous > > berries because it could ensure the continuation of the plant species. > > If animals don't eat the berries, they will fall off of the plant and > > onto the ground. This would be beneficial because then the seeds would > > be dropped in a location where the plant already grows and the > > environment is best for that plant. If the berries or seeds get taken > > elsewhere, there is no guarantee that they will end up in a place that > > has a good environment for the plant. > > > Andrea, > Your theory is a good one, but why should they spend the energy to > produce a fleshy berry instead of just a dry, simple fruit? > Janice > > From a Katie Whyte, BL101: > > I DO NOT KNOW THE CORRECT ANSWER BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT I THINK. > > I AGREE WITH THE FACT THAT PLANTS PRODUCE BERRIES TO ENSURE THEIR > > SEEDS ARE SCATTERED AROUND SO MORE PLANTS CAN GROW WHERE THEY FALL. I > > THINK THAT IT IS FOR THAT VERY REASON, TO HELP SPREAD MORE PLANTS AROUND > > WHEN FALLEN ON THE GROUND, THAT THEY PRODUCE POISON BERRIES. IF THE > > PLANTS HAVE BERRIES THAT ARE POISONESS (poisonous), THEY ARE LESS LIKELY > TO BE EATEN, > > THEREFORE CAN FALL AND SUCCESSFULLY GROW A NEW PLANT WITHOUT BEING EATEN > > FIRST. BERRIES THAT ARE NOT POISONESS (poisonous) WILL BE EATEN AND > DISTRUBUTED, BUT > > THEY MAY BE DISTRIBUTED IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS UNSUITABLE FOR THEM. IF > > THAT WAS (were) TO HAPPEN, THE REPRODUCTION RATE OF THE PLANT WOULD > DECREASE AS > APPOSED (opposed) TO THE PLANTS WITH POISONESS > (poisonous) BERRIES. > > I HOPE THAT HELPED. SORRY IF IT IS REALLY CONFUSING. I'M NOT > > SURE IF IS RIGHT, BUT IT SOUNDS LOGICAL TO ME. > > > > KATIE WHYTE (kawhyte@mtu.edu) > > > Katie, > Why become a nice fleshy berry if you don't want to be eaten? Why not > just be an inconspicuous dry fruit? > Janice > > > From Sandy Saari, BL101: > > Hi. I have thought about the question you sent about why a plant might > > poison its fruit, and here are the hypotheses I have: > > > > 1. The poison may be a by-product of a process the plant has, and the > > fruit is a place that the poison can be stored so it doesn't harm the rest > > of the plant. When the fruit is removed from the tree/plant, or falls off > > for some reason, the plant no longer has the poison. > INTERESTING IDEA! > > > 2. The plant may not have been surviving very well because animals were > > eating the fruits and the seeds, so no new plants could form. A new fruit > > was then produced, including the poison so that the animals would no > > longer eat it. > AHH! EVOLUTION AT WORK, DERIVED FROM NICE, FLESHY, GOOD-TASTING FRUITS! > > > > 3. The poison is really not a poison at all, at least from the point of > > view of the plant. It is just another part of the plant, but for some > > reason animals may be allergic to it. (Think of food allergies people > > have. Not everyone is allergic to nuts, but they could kill some people.) > > The poison could also be poisonous to some animals, but others may > > tolerate it. > > > > I'm not sure if I am on the right track for any of them, but they were the > > only ideas that I got. > > > Sandy, > These are excellent ideas, and all of them satisfy the criteria, that it > is an attractive, fleshy fruit that is wasting its energy being attractive > if it is poisonous. Good job! (The Ph. D. answering this question only > gave three possibilities, some the same as yours.) > Janice > > > From Bob Biddle, BL101: > > > > I believe I have a couple of ideas pertaining to the poison > > berries theory. I also am in dire need for a couple of extra credit points. > > > > IDEA 1) Berries to human and nonhuman species are usually the first thing > > that are noticed in viewing any such plant. If a predator would see a > > berry first and eat them IT instead of a possibly more needed leaf, > bud, or > > stem they IT would be poisoned without disturbing important factors. In > > other words the berries are a detourent DETERRENT and a very wise one at > that. AN INTERESTING, NEW IDEA. > > > > IDEA 2) It is also quite possible that the pray PREY of this berry giving > plant > would need mass amouts of poison to discourage its feeding > on the > > plant. This in turn would require that the plant contain these THIS > > quantity of poison to do such a thing, but poison is poison, and large > > amounts might also be harmful to the plant. So it is possible that it > > makes smaller amounts only to be concentated and stored away from > > the main plant body in these berries, serving as a super strong > > poison container not effecting AFFECTING the plant in any negative > manner. > > > That's all I could logically think of at this time if I conjure up > > any more foolish thought I'll be sure to let you know. > > > Not bad, Bob. Sort of a decoy system - be the apparent fruit to protect > the plant. I have given you 2 points for this. > Janice > > > From Laura Haas, BL101: > > I think that plants produce poison berries to ensure that their fruits are > > not eaten so that more of them can germinate and become adult plants. AT > > least some of the seed eaten by animals are destroyed by the digestion > > process and therefore are not viable. By making poisons, this ensures that > > more seedlings may grow. > > Another point would be that the plants can only grow in a very > > restricted area. If they move too far from this place, they will not be > > able to grow. THe poison ensures that animals will not eat them, and the > > plants will have a better chance to grow. > > > > Laura M. Haas > > > Good ideas, Laura. Why do you suppose they waste energy making nice, big, > fleshy fruits that attract predators instead of small dry ones, then put > poison in them? > Janice > > From Sheahan Dissanayake, BL101: > > > > Here is my hypothesis to, why plants make the fruit poisonous > > > > First of all, a plant makes fruits (large fruits) so that their species > > will be continued. This is done by the seeds inside the fruit. For > > example, When the fruit falls from the tree, the seed inside gets > > scattered around. > > Now, if a bird or any other fruit lover happens to eat this fruit, the seeds > > might not get scatterd around. They may even eat the seeds. But, if the > > fruit were poisonous, it would not be eaten, and the reproduction of the > > species could continue. Also, if these fruits were taken to another > > environment by animals/birds, and the seeds weren't eaten they may not grow in > > that environment. For this reason these plants make their fruits > poisonous. > > > I hope that this is good enough of a explanation of my hypothesis as to > > why a plant makes their fruits poisonous. > > > Sheahan, This is a good theory. Why, though, do they waste the energy to > make a fleshy fruit instead of a small, dry one? > Janice > > > From Josh Douglas, BL101: > > In response to the question of why some plants produce poison berries I > > offer this. > > Maybe some plants don't grow well by themselves. So to keep the > > plant going they produce poison fruits. Since the fruits don't get eaten > > the seeds don't go far from the plant, and the parent plant provides cover > > and protection for the new plants. > > Just a theory. > INTERESTING IDEA. COW WHEAT IS DISPERSED BY ANTS THAT CACHE THE SEEDS IN > A PILE. THUS THEY GERMINATE AS A GROUP. THIS INCREASES THE PROBABILITY > THAT THE ROOTS WILL GET MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI THAT ARE NEEDED TO HELP THEM > GET ENOUGH NUTRIENTS. > Janice > > ORIGINAL QUESTION: > Take into consideration the energy lost in making a large > > > fruit and ask yourself why the plant might then make it poisonous. > > > List all the hypotheses you can think of. I will post answers next week. > > > Janice > > > > > > > Would one of you plant folks be so kind as to answer this question: > > > > > > > > I believe that plants produce fruits to ensure that their seeds are > > > > scattered around - berries that are edible and tasty will be eaten > > > > and excreted elsewhere. > > > > > > > > Why then, do some plants go through the biochemical trouble to > > > > produce POISON fruit (such as berries)? > > > > From Joe Swetish, BL101: > > I can think of two possibilities as to why some plants produce poison fruit. > > > > 1. The plant's seeds may not be able to survive digestion and excretion > > by an animal. Therefore it is not safe for animals to eat the berries. > > > > 2. I think this is the more plausible of the two. Some berries are > > poisonous to some animals and not to others. I think "Choke Cherries" are > > an example. People and other animals can't eat them, but I believe some or > > all birds can. If a plant produced fruit that was eaten only by birds, the > > seeds would tend to be spread out over a larger area, as birds are more > > mobile than land animals. If the seeds are spread over a larger area, the > > plant will be more likely to survive. AND THE BIRDS DO NOT DIGEST THE > SEEDS - THEY PASS THROUGH THE DIGESTIVE TRACT UNHARMED. > > > Good ideas, Joe. > Janice > > From Todd Richards, BL101: > > 1. here is what i came up with. the seeds in the berries that are > > eaten and spead that way usally have some kind of protection that keeps > > them from being digested or damaged. Maybe the the poisonous berries' > > seeds don't have that protection. > > 2. some plants can only grow in very narrow pH ranges, temps, soil > > nutrients, ect. if they were to be moved to far from the parent plant > > they may end up somewhere where they can not grow. if the berries are > > poisonous then they are more than likely not going to be eaten, so the > > seeds stand a better chance of ending up near the parent plant where it > > can grow. > > Good ideas, Todd. > Janice > > Laura Haas, BL101 student: > > Well, I have another answer for you! I think that plants make > > big, fleshy fruits so that animals will eat them, and then the seeds > > will be carried to another location where they may grow. An example may be > > apples. Apple trees grow i a variety of places, and they're not too picky > > about what type of soil they will grow in. When an animal eats it, the > > seeds will be carried to a new location where a new orchard may be started. > > > But then why should they be poisonous? > Janice > Laura's response: > I must have misread the question. I went back and reread it, but > I can't really think of a good answer. Maybe the fleshy, juicy fruits > serve as a nutrition source for the seeds as they grow. The same > compounds that are poisonous to animals may be beneficial to the plants > themselves nutritionally. This is the only reason I can come up with. > Since the plants can't actually tell me why, this will have to do. > > From Walter Ogston, professional: > > On the question of poison fruit, I recall a long time ago hearing a > theory, I think attributed to Dan Janzen, that the very large fruit of > tropical trees etc serve to provide a fertile microenvironment for seed > germination, and are not "intended" to be eaten at all. Does this > theory survive today? > > From Wendy Wickstrom, BL101: > Plants may create poison in their berries to protect animals and humans > from eating them. Their seeds may be inside the berry which will fall off > eventually and replant itself in the ground. This way predators who may > like to eat berries will not destroy their seeds that may be replanted. > > From a professional: > Have you fully considered what you mean by poisonous? Is the fruit > univerally distasteful/deadly? Or does the nature of the fruit restrict > its' consumption to unique species, or groups of species? Perhaps by > restricting consumption to a few species, distribution is more > successful, or the seed is scarified properly by the right digestive > system, etc... Just because we can't consume it, doesn't mean a thing is > bad or useless you know...:) > > From Eric Ribbens, professional: > "Poison berries" are not necessarily poisonous to every frugivore. For > example, many fruits contain chemicals that cause intestinal upsets in mammals, > but do not affect avian frugivores at all. One evolutionary explanation for > this is that avian frugivores tend to have short intestinal residence times, > and quickly strip sugars and other easy chemicals from the fruit pulp and dump > the remainder, thus dispersing the seeds. Mammals have much longer residence > times, and thus are more likely to kill the seeds in the fruits they consume. > Thus, having poison in the fruits that causes intestinal upsets in mammals > serves only to enhance the seed dissemination capability: no matter who eats > it, the seed is going to come out the other end! > > From Michael Loik, professional: > Neat question! I might use it (if that's ok with you) for the bonus on my > final. I'm answering privately because I have my students subscribe to > ecolog while they're in my class. Three possibilities come immediately to mind: > > 1. The poison may be species-specific. If the plant has an obligate > dispersal agent, maybe it has a resistance to the poison. > > 2. Perhaps the seeds germinate within the fruit. > > 3. Perhaps the seedlings require a nurse plant, and poison fruit ensures > that the seeds stay near the parent plant. > > I'm interested in what you think of these ideas. > > It comes to mind that berries may be toxic or have irritant effect on some species and not others. For > example, poison ivy produces allergic reactions in humans, yet seems to have little, if any, effect on > deer and turkeys which relish its foliage and berries. > > An answer may lie in the efficiency of the digestive system of the species likely to eat the berries. If the > seed contained in the berry is likely to be destroyed by the digestive system of an animal which eats it, > it would seem logical that the eater should be repelled or have its gut purged so as to speed the > passage of the seed. However, if the digestive system of the eater is such that the seed will pass > relatively unharmed, then there would be no particular evolutionary pressure to produce toxins or > irritants. > > I am interested in the results of your inquiry, and would appreciate your summary. > > From Bob Strauss, professional: > I believe ALL plants are, to some extent, poisonous. To different > animals/insects, the poisonous ones differ. > > Of more interest to me: how did primitive peoples figure out how to use things > that were poisonous by "boiling three times" or whatever, in order to eliminate > the poisons. Why bother? I suspect these were, however, "primitive Einsteins". > > From Michael Loik, professional: > Thanks for forwarding the replies earlier today. I was just thinking about > ectozoochory, and whether poisonous fruit might be related to it. We have a > lot of castor bean growing as a weed around here. It is definitely > poisonous, and its fruits are adapted for hitchhiking. Could poisonous > fruits be a back up system to ensure that fruits don't get eaten, and > instead are dispersed outside of the animal? Just wondering. > From owner-education@net.bio.net Thu Nov 09 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!internet!biosci!not-for-mail From: biohelp (BIOSCI Administrator) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: IMPORTANT: BIOSCI miniFAQ Date: 10 Nov 1995 02:00:51 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 196 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511101000.CAA16805@net.bio.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net This is a new "miniFAQ" designed to answer the questions that come up the *most frequently*. The main BIOSCI FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is accessible on the World Wide Web at URL http://www.bio.net/. Contents: -------- 1) What to do about "spams," i.e., junk mail, ads, etc. 2) Examples of subscribing and unsubscribing to the mailing lists. 3) How to access BIOSCI/bionet newsgroup archives. 4) The BIOSCI user address and research interest directory. 1) What to do about "spams," i.e., junk mail, ads, etc. ------------------------------------------------------- BIOSCI is a set of parallel USENET newsgroups (the "bionet" groups) and mailing lists. The same postings are distributed on both media (except for a small number of mailing-list-only groups at net.bio.net). Unfortunately it is becoming a despicable practice on the Internet (by a few people out to make a fast buck) to do automated mass postings to thousands of newsgroups and mailing lists. These attempts to grab free advertising are refered to as "spams" in the usual, somewhat boneheaded, net terminology. 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Sincerely, Dave Kristofferson BIOSCI/bionet Manager biosci-help@net.bio.net From owner-education@net.bio.net Fri Nov 10 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!rutgers!csn!carbon!night.primate.wisc.edu!caen!usenet.cis.ufl.edu!usenet.eel.ufl.edu!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!news.u.washington.edu!pacts44.phys.washington.edu!user From: allyn@u.washington.edu (Allyn Weaks) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: Mac vs DOS Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 17:29:19 -0800 Organization: University of Washington Lines: 49 Distribution: world Message-ID: References: <199510181905.MAA28651@net.bio.net> <46h706$odh@news1.inlink.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: pacts44.phys.washington.edu X-Newsreader: Value-Added NewsWatcher 2.0b24.0+ In article <46h706$odh@news1.inlink.com>, raiar@inlink.com (Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.) wrote: > Since you mentioned CDs, I'll also put my 2-bits in about them also. > CDs are the biggest step backwards in technology that every hit the computer > industry. [...snip...] > What good is a CD anyway, mass storage, what do you have that requires that > type of unalterable mass storage? WOW, an entire encyclopedia on one disk! CDs hold about 600 MB of data. You can buy graphics collections, if you're interested in that sort of thing, or create your own graphics collections with multi-session Photo-CD (more practical for emergency archiving of your best photos than renting freezer space at the corner butcher, even if you're lucky enough to have a corner butcher these days...) or other databases; most scientific abstracts are available as regular updates on CD-ROM now. Sometimes it's cheaper to do it that way than to subscribe to the on-line version, which often has not only a per month and per hour fee, but a per citation fee as well. Not to mention the multimedia uses: it's pretty nifty to be able to put audio CDs under program control. Right now, this year, CD-ROM is still the most practical technology for distributing many things. That will undoubtably change, possibly fairly soon. But this week, 500 meg HDs are still $180, 2 gig about $700. You can get the CD-ROM drive for $200 and stick any number of disks into it...disks that are not easily corrupted by careless handling, dust and dirt, or magnetic fields. And it's hard to beat that bandwidth if you can't afford a T1 line to your house... And the most important use of all? How are you going to boot your computer when your 10 gigabyte hard drive crashes, and bootable systems plus fix-it utilities don't fit on floppies anymore?? We finally bought an external CD-ROM drive for that very purpose, since it simply isn't practical to keep several system versions ready to go on our emergency hard drive. We can keep any number of robust, pristine (no accidental alterations), system CD-ROMs on the shelf. And have you ever had the misfortune to need to install MegaSloth Office? 40 low-quality floppies which become corrupted when looked at crosseyed and have to be baby-sat thoughout the installation, or one CD-ROM which can be left on its own: which would you prefer to use every week or two? At least for the next couple of years, springing for the built-in CD-ROM drive is generally worth the small extra cost. -- Allyn Weaks allyn@u.washington.edu PNW Native Wildlife Gardening: (under construction) http://chemwww.chem.washington.edu/natives/ From owner-education@net.bio.net Mon Nov 13 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!rutgers!csn!carbon!night.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!swrinde!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.mid.net!sbctri.tri.sbc.com!newspump.wustl.edu!news.ecn.bgu.edu!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!newsrelay.iastate.edu!news.iastate.edu!usenet From: Martin Spalding Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS Date: 14 Nov 1995 19:52:12 GMT Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa Lines: 55 Message-ID: <48as1c$8ul@news.iastate.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: spaulding.botany.iastate.edu Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.1N (Windows; I; 16bit) USDA NATIONAL NEEDS DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IN PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY For Work in: PLANT BIOCHEMISTRY PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY PLANT PHYSIOLOGY Iowa State University is rapidly becoming one of the premier training grounds in the country for plant biotechnology. In recognition of this, the Interdepartmental Plant Physiology Major (IPPM) at Iowa State has been awarded additional USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowships in Plant Biotechnology. IPPM provides research opportunities stressing the development of a strong background in fundamental biology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. The Fellowships provide stipends of $17,000/year for three years to highly qualified Ph.D. students. Additional graduate fellowships and assistantships also are available from IPPM. Always known for its strong programs in traditional genetics and plant breeding, with the advent of a $50,000,000 biotechnology initiative in the late 1980’s, Iowa State has become a leader in plant and animal biotechnology. Facilities are excellent. Numerous outstanding faculty who were hired under this initiative have now established themselves as dynamic, active, well-funded researchers on the cutting edge of plant biotechnology research. Rather than huge labs in which the ‘big name’ leader is rarely seen, here at Iowa State, graduate students enjoy the personal attention and personal excitement of small and medium-sized, but very active labs. Upon graduation, successful students have their choice of positions in industry or as postdocs in the finest research institutions. To obtain application forms and more information about the National Needs Fellowships or IPPM, please send inquiries to: National Needs Fellowships IPPM Graduate Admissions 353 Bessey Hall Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011 or contact us by email: ippm@iastate.edu or visit our World Wide Web Homepage: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~ippm -- ___________________________________________________ Martin H. Spalding, Chair Ph: (515) 294-1749 Interdept Plant Physiology Major FAX (515) 294-1337 Iowa State University E-mail mspaldin@iastate.edu Ames, Iowa 50011 ippm@iastate.edu http://www.public.iastate.edu/~ippm ___________________________________________________ From owner-education@net.bio.net Mon Nov 13 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!MAIL.UCR.EDU!bray From: bray@MAIL.UCR.EDU ("elizabeth a. bray") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: NSF Traineeships at UC Riverside Date: 14 Nov 1995 11:15:34 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 199 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <40482.bray@mail.ucr.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net NSF-SPONSORED GRADUATE RESEARCH TRAINEESHIPS IN PLANT BIOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE THE DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY AND PLANT SCIENCES PROGRAM FOCUS The plant life cycle is precisely regulated by signaling mechanisms that are influenced by a number of environmental factors. Two major types of signaling mechanisms are being studied in our department, remote signaling which is thought to result from the cell identifying its position in a gradient of a plant hormone, and contact signaling in which molecules of the plasma membrane or extracellular matrix interact with adjacent cells. These signaling mechanisms are being evaluated with respect to regulation of plant development and interactions with abiotic and biotic environmental factors. Elucidation of the signaling mechanisms is at the molecular, cellular, and whole plant levels using structural, molecular and cellular biological techniques. Aspects of this basic research may have direct implications for agricultural biotechnology. Individuals interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in the area of regulation of plant growth and development are encouraged to apply for admission to the graduate program in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences. Trainees will receive a stipend of $14,000 per year and payment of all tuition and fees, which includes a graduate student health insurance program. Minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for the traineeships. The deadline for applications for enrollment in Fall is February 1. PARTICIPATING FACULTY JULIA BAILEY-SERRES Assistant Professor of Genetics. Ph.D., University of Edinburgh, UK, 1986. (909) 787-3738. serres@ucrac1.ucr.edu Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in response to the environment in maize; oxygen-deprivation, elevated ozone. ELIZABETH BRAY Associate Professor of Plant Physiology. Ph.D., University of Minnesota, St. Paul, 1982. (909) 787- 4548. bray@ucrac1.ucr.edu Regulation of plant growth and development by hormones in tomato and Arabidopsis, especially abscisic acid; water and salt stress. TIMOTHY CLOSE Associate Professor of Genetics. Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 1982. (909) 787-3318. timclose@ucrac1.ucr.edu Function of stress-induced proteins in maize, barley and other crop species; water and cold stress. ANTHONY HUANG Professor of Plant Physiology. Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, 1973. (909) 787-4783. ahuang@ucrac1.ucr.edu Cell biology of seed development and oil production in maize and other oil crops. ELIZABETH LORD Professor of Botany. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1978. (909) 787-4441. lord@ucrac1.ucr.edu Plant development; regulation of floral development and pollen tube growth in model systems. EUGENE NOTHNAGEL Associate Professor of Plant Physiology. Ph.D., Cornell University, Ithaca, 1981. (909) 787-3777. nothnagl@ucrac1.ucr.edu The role of cell surface components, especially arabinogalactan proteins, in plant development and responses to stress; senescence. LINDA WALLING Associate Professor of Genetics. Ph.D., University of Rochester, Rochester, 1980. (909) 787-4687. linda.walling@ucrac1.ucr.edu The role of aminopeptidases in plant development and stress responses in tomato and other crops; pathogens and wounding. CORE CURRICULUM FOR TRAINEES THE PLANT GENOME Structure and expression of nuclear and organellar genomes of higher plants. Special focus on gene expression, gene mapping, gene tagging with T-DNA and transposons, and plant organelle transformation technology. (Walling and Bailey-Serres) PLANT DEVELOPMENT Plant life cycle with special emphasis on recent advances in molecular genetics and cell biology. In recent years floral organ identity genes, signaling mechanisms, and self-incompatibility have been emphasized. (Bray and Lord) MOLECULAR RESPONSES OF PLANTS TO THE ENVIRONMENT Recent advances in the molecular and physiological responses of plants to abiotic stimuli including light, temperature, moisture, soil nutrient and salt content, and biotic stress. The role of plant hormones is discussed. (Bray and Close) PLANT CELL BIOLOGY Examination of structure/function relationships of components of the plant cell. Topics include cell division, elongation, communication, molecular sorting into subcellular compartments, and organellar biogenesis. (Nothnagel and Thomson) SPECIAL TOPICS SEMINARS In depth coverage of topics of current interest with discussion and oral participation by the students. (The Faculty) THE DEPARTMENT The Botany and Plant Sciences Department includes thirty-one faculty with diverse interests ranging from molecular and biochemical mechanisms to that of the organism and ecosystem. Graduate programs leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered. Students usually spend four to five years earning the Ph.D. degree. An individualized course program is determined in consultation with a faculty guidance committee and is completed within the first two years. Students take a written and oral qualifying examination, usually at the end of their second year. The student then completes a research project, submits a written dissertation, and defends the thesis in a public seminar. Laboratory rotations are encouraged in the first year. THE UNIVERSITY Riverside is the smallest of the nine UC campuses with an enrollment of 7,218 undergraduates and 1,373 graduate students in three colleges (Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering). The campus is situated sixty miles east of Los Angeles at the foot of the Box Springs mountains and is surrounded by a vast Agricultural Experiment Station. The UCR Botanical Garden and Herbarium are renown for their collections, and the campus maintains seven of the UC Natural Reserves. Affordable and convenient housing is available within walking distance of the campus, and spectacular mountains, beaches and deserts of Southern California are within a one hour drive. Numerous recreational and cultural activities may also be found in the city of Riverside. Please contact Dr. Elizabeth A. Bray to request more information and/or an application package. Please note that only US citizens and permanent residents are eligible for these traineeship. Dr. Elizabeth Bray Department of Botany and Plant Sciences University of California Riverside, CA 92521 Telephone: (909) 787-4548 Fax: (909) 787-4437 E-mail: bray@ucrac1.ucr.edu Elizabeth A. Bray Department of Botany and Plant Sciences University of California Riverside, CA 92521 From owner-education@net.bio.net Mon Nov 13 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!MAIL.CC.TRINCOLL.EDU!Kathleen.Archer From: Kathleen.Archer@MAIL.CC.TRINCOLL.EDU (Kathleen Archer) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: morphology text Date: 13 Nov 1995 13:27:25 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 19 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511132125.QAA17630@mail.trincoll.edu> Dear Plant Ed Folks, I am looking for a text that covers morphology and evolution of both vascular and non-vascular plants. Last time I used the text by Scagel et al., but the students spoke against it strongly. The only other text I know is by Bold, but I'm not sure how recently it has been revised. Any advice you can give would be much appreciated. The book must cover both non-vascular and vascular plants. Thanks, Kathleen Archer Dept. Biology Trinity College Hartford, CT 06106 e-mail: kathleen.archer@mail.trincoll.edu Ph: (203) 207-2226 From owner-education@net.bio.net Tue Nov 14 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!ACS.UCALGARY.CA!deigelsr From: deigelsr@ACS.UCALGARY.CA ("Donald Edward Igelsrud") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Wild oat seeds Date: 15 Nov 1995 06:27:14 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 23 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <9511151426.AA37746@acs4.acs.ucalgary.ca> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Wild oat seeds turn and plant themselves into the ground. I'm trying to find a better explanation for this than to simply say these are hygroscopic movements. The oat stem has a 90 degree bend in it, causing the seed to move, almost walk, with each rotation. Has anyone looked at this adaptation? It's very well known, but I find no discussion of it in the botany texts I have. Can someone explain this behavior and give me a reference. I have a couple of other related questions I might as well ask at the same time: Is there a better explanation for thigmotropism than that the cells that make contact shorten, while those on the outside elongate? Does auxin cause gravitropism in roots, or are other agents involved? Finally, the six hour BBC program "The Private Life of Plants" just made its North American debut on Turner Broadcasting and in Canada (Access in Alberta at least). It contains spectacular time-lapse footage as the producers tried to put viewers in the time frame of plants, but it also missed a few opportunities, e.g. explaining how a tree grows. How useful will it be for teaching university level courses? Don Igelsrud From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 15 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US!dh321 From: dh321@PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US ("David R. Hershey") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: ChiaPets Date: 15 Nov 1995 20:48:36 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 34 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net ChiaPets are novelty gifts usually marketed for the Christmas season and often used by comedians in their jokes. Despite their familiarity, their intriguing ethnobotany, economic uses, taxonomy, etc. are not well known but are useful to capture student interest. Chia (Salvia hispanica) seed was a major food crop of the Aztecs. The seeds are still used as a high protein, high fiber food also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Other potential uses include as a drying oil for paints, as an animal feed, as a pesticide, as a source of antioxidants to prevent food spoilage, and as a source of an industrial gum found in the mucilagnous seed coat. The seeds in a ChiaPet box are mislabeled as Salvia columbariae probably because of the use of the common name, chia, for several species. The binomial, Salvia hispanica, is misleading because chia is native to Mexico, not Spain. It was apparently introduced into Spain shortly after Cortes conquered the Aztecs in 1521. Chia seedlings are easily grown in a classroom setting and can be used for student experiments that do not require flowering. The ChiaPet also can serve as a way to introduce the topic of hydroponics, another subject that typically fascinates students. Additional details on ChiaPet use in teaching are detailed in my 1995 article "Don't Just Pet Your Chia" (Science Activities 32(2):8-12). For a copy of the article, please send a request along with a 10 by 24 cm, stamped, self-addressed envelope to the address below. David Hershey 6700 Belcrest Road #112 Hyattsville, MD 20782-1398 E-mail: dh321@PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 15 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!AC.GRIN.EDU!durkeel From: durkeel@AC.GRIN.EDU (Lenore Durkee) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: morphology text Date: 16 Nov 1995 08:34:44 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 14 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <01HXPHROKHG28Y6XR3@AC.GRIN.EDU> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Re Kathleen Archer's request about a morphology book. I answered her, but I forgot to mention the 1995 publication "The Diversity and Evolution of Plants" by Lorentz C. Pearson--CRC Press, (2000 Corporate Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33431). Paperback. ISBN 0-8493-2483-1 --Lenore Durkee Lenore Durkee durkeel@ac.grin.edu Department of Biology 515-269-3035 Grinnell College FAX 515-269-4285 P.O. 805 Grinnell, Iowa 50112 From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 15 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!AC.GRIN.EDU!durkeel From: durkeel@AC.GRIN.EDU (Lenore Durkee) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: morphology text Date: 16 Nov 1995 12:23:46 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 18 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <01HXPPOF7JB68Y7V2R@AC.GRIN.EDU> Re Kathleen Archer's request about a morphology book. I answered her, but I forgot to mention the 1995 publication "The Diversity and Evolution of Plants" by Lorentz C. Pearson--CRC Press, (2000 Corporate Blvd. Boca Raton, FL 33431). Paperback. ISBN 0-8493-2483-1 --Lenore Durkee Lenore Durkee durkeel@ac.grin.edu Department of Biology 515-269-3035 Grinnell College FAX 515-269-4285 P.O. 805 Grinnell, Iowa 50112 ----------------------- End forwarded message ----------------------- From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 15 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!RPI.EDU!edickg From: edickg@RPI.EDU ("George F Edick") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: RE: Morphology Text Date: 16 Nov 1995 06:33:59 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 12 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Kathleen Archer was trying to find a plant morphology book. One that I have used for reference in labs is "Plant Anatomy" by A. Fahn, Pergamon Press. It is an advanced anatomy text which emphasizes vascular plants (not the broad approach that she was looking for). However, it might be useful as a library reference. George George Edick RPI - Dept. Biology Troy, NY 12180 edickg@rpi.edu From owner-education@net.bio.net Thu Nov 16 22:00:00 1995 Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Path: biosci!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!utcsri!utnut!nott!cunews!wabakimi!jingham From: jingham@chat.carleton.ca (James Ingham) Subject: Help re: Christmas Cactus! X-Nntp-Posting-Host: wabakimi.carleton.ca Message-ID: Sender: news@cunews.carleton.ca (News Administrator) Organization: Carleton University X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 22:36:36 GMT Lines: 16 Hello Everyone, I'm not totally sure this is the best place to be posting but, alas that is my problem. I'm looking for information regarding the plant commonly refered to as the Christmas Cactus. I would appreciate any information you could send me regarding the plant itself or places on the web,newsgroups etc... where I could go and look for info. Thanks in advance for your help. James _ /^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\_/^\ / James Ingham: "TIGGER" \|/ ____ \|/ \ / Carleton University. @~ / o0 \ ~@ "Reality continues \ / Ottawa, Ontario. Canada /__< \__/ >__\ to ruin my life" \ / E-Mail: jingham@chat.carleton.ca \____/ - Calvin. - \ *************************************************************************** From owner-education@net.bio.net Thu Nov 16 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!OSPREY.SMCM.EDU!eestrauss From: eestrauss@OSPREY.SMCM.EDU (Ethan Strauss) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Auxin Induced adventitious root formation Date: 17 Nov 1995 12:42:12 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 18 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Hello, We have just completed an experiment in an intro biology class trying to induce adventitious root formation in bean plants. The data seem to show quite nicely that IAA inhibits adventitous rooting. Going back and rechecking my books I seems that this is not supposed to be so. My guess is that we are seeing some sort of competative inhibition of auxin function by breakdown products of the old IAA we are using. Does that make sense? Are there any other likey explainations? Thanks for your help, Ethan Strauss? Biology Instructor St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, MD 20686 301-862-0204 eestrauss@osprey.smcm.edu From owner-education@net.bio.net Thu Nov 16 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!esu.edu!brunkard From: brunkard@esu.edu (Kathleen Brunkard) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: re: auxin induced adventitious roots Date: 17 Nov 1995 13:50:38 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 11 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Ethan, Is it possible that you used too high of an IAA concentration? Although IAA will induce adventitious root formation, supraoptimal concentrations will have an inhibitory effect. I have used a similar experiment quite successfully, with 5.7 micromolar IAA inducing adventitious root formation and 57 micromolar IAA causing inhibition. Kathy Brunkard East Stroudsburg University East Stroudsburg, PA email - brunkard@esu.edu From owner-education@net.bio.net Fri Nov 17 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US!dh321 From: dh321@PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US ("David R. Hershey") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Auxin induced adventitious roots Date: 17 Nov 1995 22:02:18 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 22 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Kathy has a good theory that it may have been caused by auxin toxicity. Auxin is required for root initiation but inhibits root elongation. Page 281 of The Biology of Horticulture by Preece and Read (Wiley, 1993). has a photo. Thus, how rooting was evaluated - root number or total root length - could affect the interpretation. Did you use Mung bean? The mung bean rooting bioassay may respond to many other factors besides auxin concentration so it can be tricky. A detailed description of the experimental methods may reveal an explanation for the unexpected results. Plant Propagation Principles and Practices by Hartmann and Kester (Prentice Hall, 1983) has an extensive discussion of factors affecting adventitious rooting of cuttings. David Hershey Prince George's Community College Largo, MD email dh321@PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US From owner-education@net.bio.net Fri Nov 17 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!SUN.IM.AC.CN!laijs From: laijs@SUN.IM.AC.CN (Lai Jinsheng) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: discuss on plant gene isolation Date: 17 Nov 1995 23:00:52 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 17 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511180658.AA00515@sun.im.ac.cn> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Dear Sir: I am a Ph.D in plant molecular biology. I am very insterested in methods of plant gene isolation. I would like to exchange my ideas of plant gene isolation to whom in this feild, espcially for the agricultual important genes. Methods including: PCR, subtractive hybridization, defferential display, map-base cloning, transposon tagging, T-DNA tagging, random cDNA tagging. It will also welcomed if someone can provide me other Internet forum on the topic above. Please contact me on email. Jinsheng Lai Lab of Molecular Genetics College of Biological Sciences Beijing Agricultural University Email: Laijs@sun.im.ac.cn From owner-education@net.bio.net Sun Nov 19 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!ECSUC.CTSTATEU.EDU!Koning From: Koning@ECSUC.CTSTATEU.EDU (Ross Koning) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: Auxin Induced adventitious root formation Date: 20 Nov 1995 09:36:48 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 48 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511201736.JAA21961@net.bio.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net At 12:42 PM 11/17/95 -0800, Ethan Strauss wrote: >Hello, >We have just completed an experiment in an intro biology class trying >to induce adventitious root formation in bean plants. The data seem to >show quite nicely that IAA inhibits adventitous rooting. Going back >and rechecking my books I seems that this is not supposed to be so. Ethan, I'm not sure what your conditions are, but you are right that auxins should stimulate rooting *at the right concentration*. I have a course for non-majors where we sprout mung beans for about 10 days in the greenhouse (could use lights too). Then we sever the shoots at a point 2 cm below the cotyledonary node. The seedlings are stood in clear plastic cups, 10 per cup, with 20 mL of auxin solutions (I use 10-3 M, 10-5 M, 10-7 M, and 0 M Indole Butyric Acid). The seedlings in cups are placed a few inches below a shop-lite (fluorescent fixture) with continuous illumination. The level of liquid in each cup is maintained at the cotyledonary node by adding distilled water as needed. After one to two weeks, the root primordia have grown out a few mm. The 10-3 M IBA is herbicidal (all of them die very obviously and after severe epinastic responses). The 10-5 M IBA usually induces excellent rooting (40-50 roots per shoot). Shoots in 10-7 and 0 M IBA generally have 5 roots or so and they are found only at the cut surface. The concentrations were chosen to show "too much of a good thing," some "effective" dose, an "insufficient" dose, and a no-dose control. This works very well for me providing I keep a close eye on the watering, and the light at a sufficient level. Student T-testing works out nicely for comparing any two of the concentrations (experiment vs control). ross ________________________________________________ ( )______________________________________________) \ Ross Koning \ \ Biology Department \ \ Eastern CT State University \ \ Willimantic, CT 06226 USA \ \ Koning@ecsuc.ctstateu.edu \ \ http://koning.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/default.html \ \ Phone: 860-465-5327 \ ) Fax: 860-465-5213 ) /______________________________________________/ From owner-education@net.bio.net Sun Nov 19 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!CHI1.UNCFSU.EDU!dhaas From: dhaas@CHI1.UNCFSU.EDU ("David Haas") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: LEAF ABSCISSION Date: 20 Nov 1995 11:23:38 -0800 Organization: Fayetteville State University Lines: 24 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net A botany student of mine came up with an interesting observation this AM. As he was raking leaves over the week end (mostly pecan) he noticed that the leaflets appeared to have abscissed in a manner similar to the petiole. It seems that I also made the same observation years ago but never gave it much thought. Now after thinking about it I am wondering if this happens in all or most compound leaves. Are there any trees where the leaflets fall before the leaves? Have any of you noticed this? Comments ******************************************** Dave Haas Department of Natural Sciences Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC 28303 ******************************************** "More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly." - Allen Konigsberg. From owner-education@net.bio.net Mon Nov 20 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU!wise From: wise@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Question Date: 21 Nov 1995 15:13:22 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 18 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <01HXWV90IWSI002SUR@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net A question for the collective botanists. Does anyone know if the relationship between petiole vascular anatomy and leaf physiology has been looked at? In other words, is there a correlation between phloem or xylem cell diameter (or some such anatomical value) and photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, or yield (or some such physiological value)? Bob Robert R. Wise, PhD Department of Biology University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI 54901 (414) 424-3404 tel (414) 424-1101 fax wise@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu From owner-education@net.bio.net Tue Nov 21 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!MTU.EDU!jmglime From: jmglime@MTU.EDU ("Janice M. Glime") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: bryonet up and running Date: 21 Nov 1995 16:54:02 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 37 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511220054.TAA15634@biosrv1.bio.mtu.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Dear bryologists, lichenologists, teachers, and ecologists: The list serve for bryology is now up and running in the hopes that it can provide good discussions and a forum in which teachers, ecologists, and bryologists can get questions answered. Since much of bryophyte literature is imbedded in studies of a more general nature, it is often difficult to find answers to ecological, physiological, and other questions. I hope this list will serve to be of help to those who are interested. If you want to subscribe: mail to: majordomo@mtu.edu no subject message: subscribe bryonet-l Do not include your email address. Majordomo will take it from your mail. If you include it, I must personally send a message to majordomo to approve your subscription. You should get a message back telling you about the bryonet and how to unsubscribe. If your email program does not include your name with its messages, or you are not sure, would you please send me a separate message with your full name so I can put it in my database. Thank you. Janice *********************************** Janice M. Glime Department of Biological Sciences Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI 49931-1295 jmglime@mtu.edu 906-487-2546 FAX 906-487-3167 *********************************** From owner-education@net.bio.net Tue Nov 21 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!rutgers!rockyd!news.sprintlink.net!psgrain!charnel.ecst.csuchico.edu!xmission!imci2!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!winternet.com!ppp-66-36.dialup.winternet.com!user From: insthemp@winternet.com (Inst for Hemp) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Hemp Web Site Updated 11-21 www.winternet.com/~insthemp Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 08:54:38 -0500 Organization: Institute for Hemp Lines: 75 Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: ppp-66-36.dialup.winternet.com ** INSTITUTE FOR HEMP WEB SITE UPDATED ** Nov 21, 1995 ** OVER 200 FILES AVAILABLE ** ** OVER 3.3 MEG ** Our web site at http://www.winternet.com/~insthemp has been updated. The mirror sites at: http://hemp.org/INSTHEMP and http://fornits.com/curiosity/INSTHEMP should be updated in the next few days. ****** Changes to the site include: ******** ENGAGEMENTS: We are going to have speakers giving presentations at the University of Wisconsin in Dec. NEWS & UPDATES: We have added a slew of new news items so check the link to our News/Update area. AUDIO CLIPS: We have added four sound clips from the USDA Film "Hemp for Victory". Coming SOON..... Video Clips from Hemp for Victory. INTERVIEWS: * INTERVIEW WITH WILLIE NELSON - We have an semi inter-active interview with Singer Songwriter Willie Nelson. Read the question and click to read Willie's answer. MAGAZINE: * TRUE HEMP JOURNAL VOL 6#2 - A New issue of the True Hemp Journal is now available on line. This is the July/Aug 95 Issue. All of these can be accessed from * WHAT IS ON THIS SITE * and by checking the "New Items/Major Changes to the Site" area. ******** IN COMING UPDATES TO OUR SITE: ******** * USDA Produces White Paper on Hemp - This past summer the USDA prepared a report on Hemp as an alternative crop to tobacco. We have published the report in the Nov/Dec Issue of our Magazine. The magazine sold out so we will making this important document available on line. * Video clips of Hemp for Victory - We found someone to donate the digitizing of the USDA Film. We will be offering clips of the film on our site in coming updates. * Hemp Survey - We have a form developer who is donating some forms and scripts so that we can conduct anonymous survey's. ***************************************************** WANT TO SUPPORT WHAT WE DO? Then check out these URL's and find out more: (remember that URL's are case sensitive) A: What is The Institute all about, Our Goals, ect.. http://www.winternet.com/~insthemp/INSTINFO/whatis.html B: How to become a Member - http://www.winternet.com/~insthemp/MEMB/Minfo.html C: How to subscribe to our Bi-Monthly Publication the True Hemp Journal http://www.winternet.com/~insthemp/THJ/THJinfo.html D: How to get our General Information Package e-mail insthemp@winternet.com ------------------This message is brought to you by:------------------- -- The Institute for Hemp PO Box 65130 St Paul, MN 55165 -- -- e-mail: insthemp@winternet.com Phone/Fax 612-222-2628 -- -- Since 1989 Providing Accurate Info About Hemps Commercial Uses -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -- THREE SITES ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB -- -- OUR HOME SITE IS http://www.winternet.com/~insthemp/ -- -- OR YOU CAN TRY ONE OF OUR MIRROR SITES -- -- http://hemp.org/INSTHEMP/ -- -- http://fornits.com/curiosity/insthemp/ -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -- "Make the Most of the Hemp Seed, Sow it Everywhere" G.Washington -- -- "Without a doubt, Hemp will continue to be one of the Staple -- -- Agricultural Crops in the United States" L.Dewey, USDA, 1916 -- -HEMP-FOR-VICTORY--HEMP-FOR-VICTORY--HEMP-FOR-VICTORY--HEMP-FOR-VICTORY- From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 22 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!news.biu.ac.il!news.huji.ac.il!MARDER Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: LEAF ABSCISSION Message-ID: <4915fo$fes_001@agri.huji.ac.il> From: MARDER@agri.huji.ac.il (Jonathan B. Marder) Date: Thu, 23 Nov 95 06:48:24 GMT References: Distribution: world Organization: Hebrew University Nntp-Posting-Host: marder.agri.huji.ac.il X-Newsreader: News Xpress Version 1.0 Beta #4 Lines: 22 In article , dhaas@CHI1.UNCFSU.EDU ("David Haas") wrote: >A botany student of mine came up with an interesting observation >this AM. As he was raking leaves over the week end (mostly pecan) he noticed >that the leaflets appeared to have abscissed in a manner >similar to the petiole. It seems that I also made the same >observation years ago but never gave it much thought. Now after >thinking about it I am wondering if this happens in all or most >compound leaves. Are there any trees where the leaflets fall before >the leaves? Have any of you noticed this? Comments > Even in simple leaves, you often find abscision zones at both ends of the petiole. Jonathan B. Marder , Department of Agricultural Botany E-mail: MARDER@agri.huji.ac.il | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Phone: (08 or +9728) 481918 | /\/ Faculty of Agriculture Fax: (08 or +9728) 467763 |/ \ P.O.Box 12, Rehovot 76100, ISRAEL URL: http://indycc1.agri.huji.ac.il/~marder From owner-education@net.bio.net Thu Nov 23 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!newsfeed.internetmci.com!howland.reston.ans.net!news-e1a.megaweb.com!newstf01.news.aol.com!newsbf02.news.aol.com!not-for-mail From: coolphilip@aol.com (CoolPHILIP) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: WEEPING WILLOW CURLEY LOCKS???? WHERE CAN I FIND IT Date: 23 Nov 1995 17:36:24 -0500 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Lines: 2 Sender: root@newsbf02.news.aol.com Message-ID: <492t18$s86@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Reply-To: coolphilip@aol.com (CoolPHILIP) NNTP-Posting-Host: newsbf02.mail.aol.com COULD SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE TO FIND A WEEPING WILLOW CURLY LOCKS????? PLEASE HELP ME From owner-education@net.bio.net Fri Nov 24 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!MTU.EDU!jmglime From: jmglime@MTU.EDU ("Janice M. Glime") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: correlation of structure & productivity Date: 25 Nov 1995 08:30:24 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 27 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511251630.LAA25139@biosrv1.bio.mtu.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net > Sorry, I don't remember the exact question, but the book Life's Devices, > the Physical World of Animals and Plants, by Steven Vogel, Princeton > University Press, may have the kind of information you are looking for. > For example, under xylem the index includes hydrophilic surface, negative > pressure, tensile stress, and water transport. The book is somewhat more > readable than a typical plant physiology text. > Salisbury and Ross discuss the role of vessels in restricting the > distribution of deciduous trees, particularly oaks, to areas that have > less freezing stress because the large vessels cavitate (get their water > columns broken by excessive transpiration during times when roots are > frozen) and it is more difficult for the water column to recollect by > breaking up the large air bubbles than it is to reconnect the water column > in the more narrow tracheids. > Is the sort of information you were seeking? > Janice > *********************************** > Janice M. Glime > Department of Biological Sciences > Michigan Technological University > Houghton, MI 49931-1295 > jmglime@mtu.edu > 906-487-2546 > FAX 906-487-3167 > *********************************** > > From owner-education@net.bio.net Fri Nov 24 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!agate!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in2.uu.net!prodigy.com!usenet From: JGQC62A@prodigy.com (Scott Brenkert) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: Question Date: 25 Nov 1995 06:15:53 GMT Organization: Prodigy Services Company 1-800-PRODIGY Lines: 13 Distribution: world Message-ID: <496cap$rnm@usenetp1.news.prodigy.com> References: <01hxwv90iwsi002sur@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: inugap3.news.prodigy.com X-Newsreader: Version 1.2 In other words, is there a correlation between phloem or xylem >cell diameter (or some such anatomical value) and photosynthetic rate, >transpiration rate, or yield (or some such physiological value)? There would have to be, at least for transpiration rate. Under high heat stress, plants in moist soil will often wilt, because they can't get water to the leaves fast enough. Of course, this is also due to water uptake at the root-soil interface. It's much the same thing I should think, though. - SCOTT BRENKERT JGQC62A@prodigy.com From owner-education@net.bio.net Sat Nov 25 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!uclan.ac.uk!c.a.cornford From: c.a.cornford@uclan.ac.uk ("C.A.CORNFORD") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Christmas trees and other festive plants Date: 26 Nov 1995 09:42:41 -0800 Organization: University of Central Lancashire Lines: 17 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Hi I am preparing a public lecture on plants associated with Christmas. My aim is to use the occasion to feature some underlying biology eg. use mistletoe to talk about parasitism, christmas flowering plants for photoperiodism, juvenile and adult leaf forms etc. If anyone has any interesting anecdotes, examples and suggestions, local customs etc, please email me. Many Thanks Clive Clive Cornford Department of Applied Biology University of Central Lancashire Preston PR1 2HE Tel (01772) 893509 Fax (01772) 892903 Home Tel/fax (01323) 845536 From owner-education@net.bio.net Sun Nov 26 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!MTU.EDU!jmglime From: jmglime@MTU.EDU ("Janice M. Glime") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: Christmas trees and other festive plants Date: 26 Nov 1995 20:15:15 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 20 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511270415.XAA29121@biosrv1.bio.mtu.edu> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Just to give equal time to non-flowering plants, one should include the use of mosses in nativity scenes and the use of Lycopodium for wreaths. Both hold their color and shape when dry, and the Lycopodium has been protected in Michigan by what is known as the Christmas tree act because so much of it was being collected for Christmas decorations that our government decided to protect it before it disappeared. Lycopodium is also interesting in that one can create a spectacular flash by throwing a large pinch of spores into a a flame. This was once used for flash photography, an activity common at Christmas. Janice *********************************** Janice M. Glime Department of Biological Sciences Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI 49931-1295 jmglime@mtu.edu 906-487-2546 FAX 906-487-3167 *********************************** From owner-education@net.bio.net Sun Nov 26 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU!DYE From: DYE@WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Hi plant-ed net, Do you know of a "fernnet." Thanks, Frank Dye Date: 27 Nov 1995 08:32:01 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 28 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <951127113211.2120bc72@WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net From: SMTP%"jmglime@mtu.edu" 26-NOV-1995 23:20:27.64 To: DYE CC: Subj: Re: NETS (as opposed to Nuts!) From: "Janice M. Glime" Message-Id: <199511270420.XAA29148@biosrv1.bio.mtu.edu> Subject: Re: NETS (as opposed to Nuts!) To: DYE@WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU Date: Sun, 26 Nov 1995 23:20:31 -0500 (EST) In-Reply-To: <951126191806.21209cf9@WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU> from "DYE@WCSUB.CTSTATEU.EDU" at Nov 26, 95 07:18:06 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL24] Content-Type: text Content-Length: 227 > > Janice, > > Since my interests in plants are eclectic, do you know of a fernnet (or > perhaps a pteridonet). Thanks, Frank > Frank, I don't know of any, but try asking the plant-ed net: plant-ed@net.bio.net Janice From owner-education@net.bio.net Tue Nov 28 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!WILKES1.WILKES.EDU!kklemow From: kklemow@WILKES1.WILKES.EDU (Ken Klemow) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: tomato ripening Date: 29 Nov 1995 09:03:59 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 17 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Yesterday in my Plant Form and Function course, I was discussing fruit ripening (especially in relation to the role of ethylene and climacteric). One of my students mentioned that her parents hasten the ripening of tomatoes at home by leaving them on a counter and placing a dish over them. She wanted to know whether that practice had anything to do with ethylene. I responded that covering the fruit might promote the accumulation of ethylene, and hence the ripening of fruit, but I wasn't really sure. I checked a few of my books on practial botany, and could not find an explanation. If anyone could provide a brief explanation as to why partially covering a green tomato promotes its ripening I would be grateful. Ken Klemow Wilkes U. kklemow@wilkes1.wilkes.edu From owner-education@net.bio.net Tue Nov 28 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!ecsuc.ctstateu.edu!Koning From: Koning@ecsuc.ctstateu.edu (Ross Koning) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: LEAF ABSCISSION Date: 29 Nov 1995 06:02:15 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 40 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511291358.FAA25090@net.bio.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net At 11:23 AM 11/20/95 -0800, David Haas wrote: >A botany student of mine came up with an interesting observation >this AM. As he was raking leaves over the week end (mostly pecan) he noticed >that the leaflets appeared to have abscissed in a manner >similar to the petiole. It seems that I also made the same >observation years ago but never gave it much thought. Now after >thinking about it I am wondering if this happens in all or most >compound leaves. Are there any trees where the leaflets fall before >the leaves? Have any of you noticed this? Comments Dave, I have noticed this also in walnut, sumac, locust, and several other truly compound leaved tree species. I think it more the rule than the exception based on my limited (temperate zone) observations. I haven't noticed if this holds for some of the "herbs" that have less-than-truly-compound leaves...such as tomato. In some of these, I think the leaf looks compound but is really a lobed simple leaf and lacks abscission zones for at least some of the lobes. Thus there could be "exceptions" to the rule you have discovered. Sounds real equivocal, no? ross ________________________________________________ ( )______________________________________________) \ Ross Koning \ \ Biology Department \ \ Eastern CT State University \ \ Willimantic, CT 06226 USA \ \ Koning@ecsuc.ctstateu.edu \ \ http://koning.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/default.html \ \ Phone: 860-465-5327 \ ) Fax: 860-465-5213 ) /______________________________________________/ From owner-education@net.bio.net Tue Nov 28 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!JOLT.MPX.COM.AU!vickery From: vickery@JOLT.MPX.COM.AU (Bob Vickery) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: re: Christmas Trees and other festive plants Date: 28 Nov 1995 23:30:08 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 25 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net Clive cornford wrote: >Hi >I am preparing a public lecture on plants associated with >Christmas. My aim is to use the occasion to feature some underlying biology >eg. use mistletoe to talk about parasitism, christmas flowering >plants for photoperiodism, juvenile and adult leaf forms etc. If >anyone has any interesting anecdotes, examples and >suggestions, local customs etc, please email me. >Many Thanks You might like to mention the Western Australian Christmas Tree, Nuytsia floribunda (Loranthaceae) since it is both a christmas tree and a mistletoe. It is an evergreen tree growing to a height of 10m with masses of orange golden flowers at Christmas time. It parasitises the roots of a range of trees and has been known to attack coax cables. It is native to light, sandy soils of SW Western Australia. It can be propagated from stem and root cuttings provided that it has a host plant nearby. Cheers Bob Vickery bob@acsusun.acsu.unsw.edu.au vickery@mpx.com.au From owner-education@net.bio.net Tue Nov 28 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US!dh321 From: dh321@PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US ("David R. Hershey") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: Christmas trees and other festive plants Date: 28 Nov 1995 21:13:01 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 64 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net On 26 Nov 1995, C.A.CORNFORD wrote: > Hi > I am preparing a public lecture on plants associated with > Christmas. My aim is to use the occasion to feature some underlying biology > eg. use mistletoe to talk about parasitism, christmas flowering > plants for photoperiodism, juvenile and adult leaf forms etc. If > anyone has any interesting anecdotes, examples and > suggestions, local customs etc, please email me. > Many Thanks > Clive > Clive Cornford > Department of Applied Biology > University of Central Lancashire > Preston PR1 2HE > Tel (01772) 893509 > Fax (01772) 892903 > > Home Tel/fax (01323) 845536 > Poisonous plants is a good topic because several Christmas plants are poisonous (holly fruit, mistletoe). Poinsettia is often reported to be poisonous but is not toxic as research has demonstrated. Holly can be used as an example of a dioecious species and also as an example of parthenocarpy because gardeners often grow parthenocarpic cultivars to ensure fruit production. This eliminates the need for nonfruiting staminate plants or the grafting of a few staminate branches onto the pistillate trees. Another dioecious Xmas plant is the vine bittersweet (Celastrus scandens). The Christmas poinsettia can be used for many biological topics. It is very prone to molybdenum deficiency, yet molybdenum deficiency is often difficult to induce in other species experimentally. The showy parts of the "flower" are bracts. In the US, poinsettia is the number one potted flowering plant, even though it is only sold at Xmas. Aztecs first cultivated the poinsettia, which was introduced to the United States in 1825 by Joel Robert Poinsett, first U.S. ambassador to Mexico. Chemical growth retardants are often used on poinsettia, with Cycocel (chlormequat) the most widely used. Poinsettia is propagated by cuttings treated with the auxin, indole butyric acid. Poinsettias left in their sleeves too long may exhibit epinasty (leaf drooping) due to ethylene production induced by sleeving. Poinsettias are very susceptible to white flies and root rots, the latter treated by soil drenches of fungicides. Much of the popularity of the poinsettia is due to selection of superior cultivars which hold their bracts and leaves for months in home environments. The 1949 manual by Post noted that potted poinsettias often dropped their lower leaves before bloom so asparagus fern or other plants were planted in the same pot to hide the bare stems. Seedlings of silk oak (Grevillea robusta) were also often used. David R. Hershey Biology/Horticulture Dept. Prince Georges Community College Largo, MD 20772-2199 dh321@pgstumail.pg.cc.md.us From owner-education@net.bio.net Tue Nov 28 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!MTU.EDU!amhoeffe From: amhoeffe@MTU.EDU ("Ann M. Hoefferle") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: fern network Date: 29 Nov 1995 11:17:42 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 3 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511291917.OAA13354@biosrv1.bio.mtu.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net I am looking for any information on a fern network that might be setup and/or information on how to find one. AH From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 29 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!augsburg.edu!mclaugh From: mclaugh@augsburg.edu Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: fern network Date: 30 Nov 1995 05:58:44 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 15 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511301356.HAA27103@aug1> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net There is a Ceratopteris network. It hasn't been active at all, but it exists. Contact Tom Warne at . ******************** Esther G. McLaughlin Associate Professor and Chair Biology Dept. Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis MN 55454 USA 612/330-1074 FAX: 612/330-1649 ******************* From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 29 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!ECSUC.CTSTATEU.EDU!Koning From: Koning@ECSUC.CTSTATEU.EDU (Ross Koning) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: tomato ripening Date: 30 Nov 1995 13:35:08 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 39 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <199511302135.NAA14389@net.bio.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net At 9:03 AM 11/29/95 -0800, Ken Klemow wrote: >Yesterday in my Plant Form and Function course, I was discussing fruit >ripening (especially in relation to the role of ethylene and climacteric). >One of my students mentioned that her parents hasten the ripening of >tomatoes at home by leaving them on a counter and placing a dish over them. >She wanted to know whether that practice had anything to do with ethylene. >I responded that covering the fruit might promote the accumulation of >ethylene, and hence the ripening of fruit, but I wasn't really sure. I >checked a few of my books on practial botany, and could not find an >explanation. If anyone could provide a brief explanation as to why >partially covering a green tomato promotes its ripening I would be >grateful. I think entrapment of ethylene is dubious unless the dish met the counter surface. If so, then I WOULD expect this to hasten ripening. Temperature effects would also be a possibility. If the inverted dish is in any kind of illumination, the contained space would heat up and this too would accelerate respiration and attendant ripening processes. If the containment is truly "partial" then I would assume that the dish is applying pressure to the skin of the fruit. This could be accompanied by "wound ethylene." ross ________________________________________________ ( )______________________________________________) \ Ross Koning \ \ Biology Department \ \ Eastern CT State University \ \ Willimantic, CT 06226 USA \ \ Koning@ecsuc.ctstateu.edu \ \ http://koning.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/default.html \ \ Phone: 860-465-5327 \ ) Fax: 860-465-5213 ) /______________________________________________/ From owner-education@net.bio.net Wed Nov 29 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU!MONROEJD From: MONROEJD@VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU (Jon Monroe) Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Re: LEAF ABSCISSION Date: 29 Nov 1995 18:36:40 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 29 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: <01HY8A3OM8VM8X4UPQ@VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU> NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net > At 11:23 AM 11/20/95 -0800, David Haas wrote: > >A botany student of mine came up with an interesting observation > >this AM. As he was raking leaves over the week end (mostly pecan) he noticed > >that the leaflets appeared to have abscissed in a manner > >similar to the petiole. It seems that I also made the same > >observation years ago but never gave it much thought. Now after > >thinking about it I am wondering if this happens in all or most > >compound leaves. Are there any trees where the leaflets fall before > >the leaves? Have any of you noticed this? Comments I just remembered a story told by Herb Wagner (U of Michigan) relating to this thread. It seems that some caterpillars that form cocoons on several tree species can tell the difference between simple and compound leaves. For the cocoon to remain in the tree after abscision the caterpillar must attach the leaf to the stem. For a simple leaf this would be one "turn" away but for a compound leaf the same species of caterpillar makes two turns so as not to fall when the leaflet and rachis are shed! This doesn't answer the question on the temporal order of abscision, but it is one of my favorite stories... Jon ----------------------------------------------------------------- Jonathan Monroe voice: 540-568-6649 (office) Department of Biology 540-568-6045 (lab) James Madison University fax: 540-568-3333 Harrisonburg, VA 22807-0001 e-mail: monroejd@jmu.edu www: www.jmu.edu/biology/biofac/jmonroe/jmonroe.html ----------------------------------------------------------------- From owner-education@net.bio.net Thu Nov 30 22:00:00 1995 Path: biosci!PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US!dh321 From: dh321@PGSTUMAIL.PG.CC.MD.US ("David R. Hershey") Newsgroups: bionet.plants.education Subject: Christmas Trees and Other Festive Plants Date: 30 Nov 1995 21:41:32 -0800 Organization: BIOSCI International Newsgroups for Molecular Biology Lines: 102 Sender: daemon@net.bio.net Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: net.bio.net English ivy is a good example of both positive (leaves) and negative phototropism (stems and roots). Negative phototropism of ivy stems allows them to climb trees and buildings. Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), a native woodland wildflower in the eastern USA, was once a popular Xmas decoration because of the long-lasting red fruit. It was often placed in a glass container to make a partridgeberry bowl, a type of terrarium. The fruit are edible. The evergreen Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), an eastern USA native, was once collected as a major cut foliage item for Xmas sales. The Xmas rose (Helleborus niger) is valued because it blooms outdoors around Xmas, however, it is poisonous and has been used medicinally. Despite the name it may not always bloom at Xmas but can be forced indoors to assure Xmas flowering. Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum species) can be forced to bloom for Xmas but they are poisonous. O. umbellatum blooms in the spring outdoors and is often an escaped weed in the USA. Ken Post (1949, Florist Crop Production and Marketing, New York: Orange Judd) notes several popular Xmas potted plants. Coralberry (Ardisia crenata) has long-lasting red fruit. It supposedly has nitrogen fixing nodules in the margins of its leaves. Another Xmas plant that fixes nitrogen is the bayberry (Myrica). Other Xmas plants include the Xmas begonia (B. socotrana), cyclamen, azalea, Xmas cactus, and kalanchoe, all valued for their flowers. Cyclamen also has beautifully variegated leaves. The Xmas pepper (Capsicum annuum), Jerusalem or Xmas cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum), and False Jerusalem Cherry or Xmas orange (Solanum capsicastrum) are valued for their colorful fruit. Xmas pepper was bred from chili and cayenne peppers so fruit are edible but hot. Jerusalem cherry fruit are poisonous. Christmas-cheer (Sedum rubrotinctum) is a houseplant whose leaves turn red when exposed to bright light. All but Xmas begonia are still popular. Many plants have Xmas as part of their common name because the plant blooms or fruits at Xmastime in its native habitat. For example, New Zealand Xmas tree (Metrosideros excelsa) blooms in the USA during June-July due to reversal of seasons in the Northern hemisphere. Colonial Xmas tree decorations were often plant materials, such as polished nuts, dried orange slices, apples, and the still popular strings of popcorn and cranberries. Other popular Xmas decorations are bayberry candles, candle holders made from logs, deer and other figures made of woven branches, and pseudotopiary - potted English ivy trained on wire frames to form wreathes, Xmas trees, etc. Xmas wreathes, garlands, roping, and swags are made from just about any evergreen tree or shrub including fir, yew, pine, arborvitae, juniper, box, mountain laurel, rhododendron, littleleaf Japanese holly, Southern magnolia, etc. Many berried shrubs are popular substitutes for holly, such as pyracantha, Xmas berry (Heteromeles arbutifolia), and Xmasberry tree (Schinus terebinthifolius). Because many people prune their landscape evergreens for Xmas greens, proper pruning techniques and apical dominance are appropriate topics. Cone wreathes are also popular and can include more than just cones, such as acorns, eucalyptus pods, milkweed pods, etc. A popular Xmas gift is an amaryllis bulb (cultivars of Hippeastrum). In the USA, the ChiaPet has become a popular novelty Xmas gift in recent years. It consists of an unglazed ceramic animal or other figure filled with water and covered with chia (Salvia hispanica) seeds which sprout to give a "fur coat". Frankincense and myrrh were plant gifts brought by the Three Wise Men. They were also used by ancient Egyptians in mummification. Xmas foods and spices of plant origin are numerous including peppermint candy canes, cinnamon, nutmeg, fruit cakes, chocolate, citrus and apples in Xmas stockings, and "chestnuts roasting on an open fire." A discussion of chestnuts could include the devastation of the American chestnut caused by human introduction of chestnut blight, an illustration of why we need strict plant inspections and quarantines. To discourage thieves who steal them for use as Xmas trees, landscape evergreens are often sprayed with a chemical that makes them stink. Living Xmas trees are sold balled and burlapped or in a container and can be planted outdoors after the holidays. Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) is a houseplant that makes a good Xmas tree. Outdoors it may reach 60 meters. It is propagated by cuttings of erect shoots. Lateral shoots are unsatisfactory because they are plagiotropic. Although not biology, mistletoe and ivy have many interesting legends and superstitions associated with them. See Lys, Claudia de. 1989. What's so lucky about a four-leaf clover? New York: Bell. ****************************************************************** David R. Hershey HOME: WORK: Biology/Horticulture Department 6700 Belcrest Road #112 Prince George's Community College Hyattsville, MD 20782-1398 Largo, MD 20772-2199 Email dh321@pgstumail.pg.cc.md.us *******************************************************************