Plants & Human Affairs (BIOL106)  -  Stephen G. Saupe, Ph.D.; Biology Department, College of St. Benedict/St. John's University, Collegeville, MN 56321; ssaupe@csbsju.edu; http://www.employees.csbsju.edu/ssaupe

Medicinal Plants

Short Answer Questions:

1. What is the Doctrine of Signatures?  Give some examples?  Is this a scientific idea?  Explain why or why not (does it meet the criteria of testability and falsifiability)?
2. What is an organic compound?  Give an example.
3. What is a secondary metabolite?
4. Why do plants have secondary metabolites?
5. Why are plants more likely to have secondary metabolites than animals?
6. What kinds of animals have a rich arsenal of secondary metabolites?  Explain why.
7. Why don't plants poison themselves with their biodynamic chemicals?
8. Read an article about Joseph Rock and Richard Evans Schultes.  Do these articles match with the statements made about these men by the author?
9. What sort of evidence do you require to know that a plant drug is safe & effective?
10. Can you trust that products you buy in the store (e.g., grocery store, health foods store) are safe?
    
     

Timeline Question:  The following diagram represents a timeline from prehistoric times to the present 2005 AD.  Beneath each major period in history is a letter (A-F).  Match each of the following with the appropriate time on the timeline.

        ____ // _____________________________________________________
       |                       |                |                 |               |                 |                    |     
  prehistory           500 BC          0           500 AD        1000          1500               2000
                      A               B               C                D              E                   F           

Medicinal Plant Matching.  Match each of the following with the appropriate plant.

_____ cure for dropsy
_____ aspirin
_____ digitalis
_____ heart medicine
_____ lowers blood pressure
_____ reserpine
_____ analgesic
_____ malaria treatment
_____ gin & tonic
_____ burn treatment
_____ treatment for hypertension
_____ potency greatest in the morning
_____ treatment for leukemia and Hodgkin�s disease
_____ William Withering
_____ digoxin, digitonin
_____ Indian healers

Last updated:  11/15/2005 � Copyright  by SG Saupe