This document provides an introduction to pharmacognosy and botanical nomenclature. It defines official and unofficial drugs, and explains that Linnaeus established the binomial nomenclature system used for plants, with the first name denoting genus and second denoting species. It also summarizes the structures and functions of the plant cell components including the cell wall, plasma membrane, golgi apparatus, mitochondria, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, chloroplasts, nucleus, and lysosomes. Finally, it discusses how drugs are named according to their biological or botanical origin and commercial origin.

1. Introduction of Pharmacognosy
•Nomenclature
• The living plant cell
By
Dr /Omar Ahmed Almohdar

2. Official and unofficial drug
• An official drug is that which is described in
the pharmacopeia .
• A non official drug is a drug used by people
but not described in the pharmacopeia .

3. Botanical Nomenclature
o Before the time of Linnaeus (1707-1778) many
plants were known by a double Latin titles.
o This Swedish biologist that we owe the general
adoption of the present binomial system.
o The first name denotes the genus, while the
second name denotes the species.
o The species of Cinchona named after Charles
Ledger, who brought its seeds from Brazil in 1865,
is now written Cinchona ledgeriana rather than
Cinchona Ledgeriana.

4. Botanical Nomenclature
 The species name is usually chosen to indicate some
specific characteristic of the plant – for example, the
hemlock with the spotted stem is named Conium
maculatum (Maculatus means spotted).
 Sometimes the reason for the name is not known – For
example, Strychnos potatorum (potator means drinker),
this name only understand when it is known that “the
seeds of this species are used in India for clearing the
water”.
 The main hierarchical (
‫هرمي‬
) subdivisions of division,
arranged according to Engler’s scheme may be illustrated
by the following example showing the systematic position
of peppermint.

7. Nomenclature of drugs
 Drugs are named according to its origin :
A. The biological (natural or botanical origin):
• The specific name is usually chosen to indicate one of the following:
1. Some morphological characteristics of the plant. For example:
a- Piper nigrum (nigra means black).
b- Atrpoa belladona (beautiful lady).
c- Myristica fragrans (having an odour).
2. The geographic source or history of the drug. For example:
a- Cannabis indica.
b- Olea arabica.
c- Iris germanica (saosan).
3. The pharmaceutical activity or active constituents. For example:
a- Papaver somniferum (induce sleep).
b- Saponaria officinalis (contain saponins).
B. The commercial origin :
• this refers to the place of the drug production or transport. For example :
• Alexandrian senna is indigenous to tropical Africa and cultivated in sudan
but was first exported from Alexandria and hence its name.

8. The living plant cell

9. Cell wall

10. Function of cell wall
• Present only in plant cells, bacterial cells
and fungal sells.
• An additional protective wall present out
side the plasma membrane.
• Function of cytoplasm:
• Contains many cell organelles.

11. Cell membrane or plasma membrane

12. membrane
Function of plasma
oGives form to the cell.
oProtect the cell from injuries.
oKeeps the cell content in place and
prevents their mixing with the extra-
cellular materials.
oRegulates the flow of selected
substances in and out of the cell.

13. Golgi apparatus
• Function :
• Transports material
inside and out side
the cell.

14. Mitochondria
• Function:
• To perform
cellular
respiration
(energy maker)

15. Ribosome
Function : is a protein synthesizer.

16. Endoplasmic reticulum
• Function:
• Is the
transportation
system of the cell
and its proteins.

17. Chloroplast
• Function :
• Converts light energy
of the sun into
sugars that can be
used by cell.

18. Nucleus

19. Function of nucleus
Responsible for protein synthesis,
cell division, growth and
differentiation.
Controls the heredity characteristics
of an organism.
Stores protein and ribonucleic acid
(RNA).

20. lysosome
• Fuction:
• Lysosomes play an
important role
in phagocytosis