The Roots of Biology Flashcards
What types of working knowledge did hunter gatherer people need about animals?
animal biology such as habits of animals, migration, behaviour, internal anatomy, how best to kill them
What did hunter gatherers need to know about plants?
knowledge of plant diversity and use: plants as food, plant as medicines, plants as weapons, tools and construction materials
Roots of biology in agriculture:
domestication of plants and animals meant what?
that their reproduction fell under the control of people which lead to artificial selection
What is artificial selcetion?
deliberate selective breeding for altered characteristics
domesticated plants arose by what?
both unintentional and intentional selection
traits that were selected during plant domestication
What type of knowledge was required for agriculture and domestication of plants/animals?
Biological knowledge
Domestication of animals involved what?
keeping animals alive rather than hunting and killing them, this would have required knowledge of nutrition, breeding, behaviour and disease
What traits were selected/arose during plant domestications?
- larger seeds
- non-shattering inflorescence
- high/low yield
- seed dormancy (such as chestnuts that need a period of cold to germinate)
- self pollination (such as corn and wheat)
- removal of toxins (such as removal of cyanide from almonds)
- modified proteins (such as gluten in bread wheat)
Roots of biology in early medicine?
what were the subdivisions in early civilization?
pharmacology, surgery and magic and religion, usually done by different practitioners
assyrians discovered what?
pollination a female date palm
How were physician organized in early Egypt?
among elite, and were organized into a hierarchy, from chief physician to bandager
Who was and what did he do Imhotep did what? What are his dates?
2700-2600 BC. Was an architect, physician, polymath , might have written surgical texts. Possibly inspired or played a role in the Edwin Smith Papyrus
What was Imhotem defied as after his death?
God of medicine (Asclepios)
The Edwin smith papyrus was what?
Worlds oldest medical treatise (1600BC), but may date back to Imhotep
What was discussed in the Edwin Smith Papyrus?
Diagnosis and treatment
Traumatic military injuries presented as 48 case histories
Contained very little magic
Shows some knowledge of anatomy and speculates about physiology
In what written record is the connection between blood and life/death first speculated?
The Edwin Smith papyrus
What is contained within the Ebers Papyrus? When was it dated?
1550 BC
Formulas for over 700 drugs, contains both practical advice and magic.
What important ancient medical text was written in China and when?
The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon, 2nd century BC
What main idea, seen also in some Egyptian and Geek medicine, is contained within The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon?
- Illness results from natural causes, not supernatural causes
- Illness can result from disruption of flow of chi
- Ilness can result from imbalances in Yin and Yang
- Human body is a microcosm that reflects the world as a whole, the macrosm
What is Chi?
Vital energy that flows along the meridians
What is Yin and Yang?
yin: negative, dark, cold, empty, earthly, feminine
yang: positive, bright, warm, full, heavenly, masculine
What 5 elements were suggested by The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon to be important for the persistence of life?
- Wood
- Fire
- Earth
- Metal
- Water
What is the result of the microcosm/macrocosm described in the Yellow Emperors Inner Canon?
Natures five phases have correspondance to the parts of the mind and body, and these relationships can be manipulated by the physician for the benefit of the patient
What is an example of the relationship between natures five phases and the parts of body/mind?
Fire corresponds to
- creativity
- happiness
- heart, small intestine (fire organs)
What were the roots of Biology in Aesthetics
Over 4000 years ago, early Egyptian and mesopotamian cities had zoos and botanical gardens
What differentiates a menagerie from a zoo?
Menagerie: collection of animals, a sign of wealth and status
Zoo: scientific interest, study of organisms
What was the layout and dates of the Persian formal garden plan? How did this inspire the meaning of the word “paradise” (pairi-daeza)?
6th-4th centuries BC
Four equal sections separated by canals and surrounded by a high walls. The word “paradise” comes from the Persian word for “surrounded by walls”
