ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 5979
Session = 20.13.7


ARBER'S CONCEPT OF THE PLANT AND ITS RELEVANCE TO PHYLOGENETIC RECONSTRUCTION AND GENETICS


Bruce Kirchoff. Department of Biology, P.O. Box 26174, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6174, USA


Throughout her work Arber argues for an inclusive, synthetic concept of the plant as consisting of a unification of every phase of its existence. Her view that the leaf is a partial-shoot, arising laterally from a parent whole-shoot reflects this unification by relating part (leaf) to whole (shoot). According to these views the part can be fully understood only in the context of the whole. Hennig's view of the organism (as the unit of systematics) is in sharp contrast with Arbers. He replaces the individual with the semaphorant: individuals in a definite, very brief interval of their life. This replacement assumes that no information is lost in the process. The expression of genes like uni in both leaf and floral development suggests otherwise. Morphological and genetic correlations between the development of various organs suggest that the replacement of the individual by the semaphorant is misleading. Contrary to Hennig's assumption, the elements of systematic work may, in fact, be individuals.


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