The Biologic Podcast

The bryophytes are an ancient lineage of simple plants, so simple they don't even have true vasculature systems. These small plants have a subtle but influential role in their ecology, and they serve as an evolutionary bridge between the simple algae, and more complex plants.

The green algae the most primitive of all the photosynthetic organisms in the plant lineage. They are the root of the family tree, the origin of the green vegetables, and the living legacy of the plant transition from water to land.

Photosynthesis is a process through which plants capture the energy in sunlight to synthesize sugars, but more fundamentally, its the process by which light energy is converted into chemical energy, which sustains the entire chemical superreaction known as 'life'.

Throughout their evolutionary history, plants have evolved diverse and complex means of reproduction, including spores and pollen grains, cones and flowers, and a wide range of symbiotic animal pollinators.

The plants use a variety of mechanisms to sense the world around them; they can feel and respond to the water content of the soil, the temperature & humidity, and even to the presence of herbivores.

Plants derive their nutrients from both the ground and the air; mineral nutrients are absorbed from the soil in which the roots are growing, and carbon is absorbed from the leaves as they sway in the air.

Due to the nature of their physiology, plant hydration involves a number of variables with disproportionate ecological impact, from the roots holding the soil together, to the evaporation influencing the climate.

A brief introduction to the basics of plant physiology, covering basic plant development from young seed to mature adult.

The tropical forests are some of the most biodiverse regions on the planet, dense with vegetation, and home to a breath-taking abundance & variety of exotic creatures.

The temperate forests account for a colossal portion of the Earths landmass, carpeting vast swathes of land with trees, ferns, flowers, and all manner of fauna.