. The trunk is divided into areas in which leaves are inserted ( - PowerPoint Presentation

. The trunk is divided into areas in which leaves are inserted (KNOTS) and areas deprived of leaves (INTERNODE). In basil each knot bring two leaves. The area included between the trunk and stalk's insertion is called ARMPIT OF THE LEAF. In each armpit of the leaf it's located a bud, known as AXILLARY BUD or LATERAL BUD. On the top of that there's a little APICAL BUD.It's possible to recognise with a glass a root from which originates a big amount of lateral roots. The group of this roots is called ROOT SYSTEM. Basilico-Basil

The leaves are always two in the lower part of the stem, meanwhile they are three in the upper part.Their position forms a right angle, so the leaves could receive the same amount of light in order to start the photosynthesis

FIBONACCIFibonacci was born around 1175 to Guglielmo, a wealthy Italian merchant and, by some accounts, the consul for Pisa. Guglielmo directed a trading post in Bugia, a port in the Almohad dynasty's sultanate in North Africa. Fibonacci travelled with him as a young boy, and it was in Bugia (now Algeria) that he learned about the Hindu–Arabic numeral system. Fibonacci travelled extensively around the Mediterranean coast, meeting with many merchants and learning about their systems of doing arithmetic. In 1240, the Republic of Pisa honored Fibonacci by granting him a salary in a decree that recognized him for the services that he had given to the city as an advisor on matters of accounting and instruction to citizens.

Fibonacci’s Method in Nature(dal greco phyllon, foglia + taxis, ordine), cioè la disposizione regolare di foglie e fiori attorno allo stelo.
Phyllotaxy (from greek phyllon, leaf + taxis) is the mode of arrangement of leaves on the stem. It is surprising how regular and strictly mathematical this is. There is a definite law according to which the leaves are arranged on the stem of a particular species. The arrangement is always regular and leaves are never placed on the stem in a haphazard manner. The foliage leaves are usually spread about on the stem with long or short inter­nodes between them. This arrangement is called cauline. In some cases, however, the leaves arise as a cluster or a rosette from the very short stem just oh the top of the root.

   Fibonacci is one of the most famous names in mathematics. This would come as a surprise to Leonardo Pisano, the mathematician we now know by that name. And he might have been equally surprised that he has been immortalised in the famous sequence – 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ... – rather than for what is considered his far greater mathematical achievement – helping to popularise our modern number system in the Latin-speaking world. The sequence seems to be present in different ways in nature, such as the sheel’s spiral shape.

  Auxins are a class of plant hormones (or plant growth substances) with some morphogen-like characteristics. Auxins have a cardinal role in coordination of many growth and behavioral processes in the plant's life cycle and are essential for plant body development. Auxins and their role in plant growth were first described by the Dutch scientist Frits Warmolt Went.Kenneth V. Thimann  was the first to isolate one of these phytohormones and determine its chemical structure as indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Went and Thimann co-authored a book on plant hormones, Phytohormones, in 1937.

Lipophilicity (from Greek λίπος "fat" and φίλος "friendly"), refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene. These non-polar solvents are themselves lipophilic (translated as "fat-loving" or "fat-likin”)—the axiom that "like dissolves like" generally holds true. Thus lipophilic substances tend to dissolve in other lipophilic substances, while hydrophilic ("water-loving") substances tend to dissolve in water and other hydrophilic substances.

OLFACTORY SYSTEMThe olfactory system, or sense of smell, is the part of the sensory system used for smelling (olfaction). Most mammals and reptiles have a main olfactory system and an accessory olfactory system. The main olfactory system detects airborne substances, while the accessory system senses fluid-phase stimuli.

SCENTS Aroma profiles1,8-cineoleBergamoteneEugenolLinaloolMethyl chavicolMethyl cinnamateMethyl eugenol Phenylpropanoids trans-β- Ocimene

Chemical structure’ variationsThe length of the hydrocarbonic chain , the number and the location of the aromatic rings determinates a different odour and flavour.

FUNCTIONAL GROUPSFunctional groups are groupings of atoms that often resort to biological molecules. Each functional group has certain chemical properties and if connected to a bigger molecule confers this one his certain properties.

Functional Groups: Olfactory Receptors

AROMATIC COMPOSITES Aromatic composites are all those organic composites that contain one or more aromatic rings in their structure. The presence of these confers them a characteristic fragrance.

Chemical Composites of Basil: Polyphenols The polyphenols  are natural antioxidants found in plats and  can result useful in the lipoprotein oxidation of the prevention.They are characterised by the presence of functional groups -OH that confer  the basil its typical fresh and floral fragrance. Aromatic Ring Double link C=CLink

EUGENOLEugenol is a phenylpropene, an allyl chain-substitued guaiacol.Its chemical formula is C10 H 12O2 and its I.U.P.A.C. name is 2-Methoxy-4-(prop-2-en-1-yl) phenol . Double Link Link Aromatic Link

Eugenol is used in perfumes, flavourings, and essential oil it is also used as antiseptic and anaesthetic. It has antibacteris proprieties and is an insects ’ repellent . The essential oil is used for an external use only and to cure respiratory disease . Basil helps reinforce the nervous system fighting anxiety , stress, irritability and depression . It includes triptophan which helps the production of serotonina. EUGENOL

It could cause cutaneous irritations You mustn’t use it while you’re pregnant because it could cause toxoplasmosis, if cats do their business near /on the plant WARNING !

ESTRAGOLE Estragole is a phenylpropene, its chemical formula is C10 H 12O and its name I.U.P.A.C. is 1-Methoxy-4-(prop-2-en-1-yl)benzene. Estragole is an organic compound. Estragole is the primary constituent of essential oil of tarragon  but you can also find it in the basil essential oil. Double Link Aromatic Ring Link

α-pinene e β-pinene The isomers are the composers that, even if they have the same molecular formula, they differ in the formula of structure. Pinene (Chemical formula: C10H16) is a bicyclic monoterpene chemical compound. There are two structural isomers of pinene found in nature: α-pinene and β-pinene. As the name suggests, both forms are important constituents of pine resin; they are also found in the resins of many other conifers, as well as in non-coniferous plants such as camphorweed and big sagebrush. Both isomers are used by many insects in their chemical communication system. The two isomers of pinene constitute the major component of turpentine.

Limonene Limonene is a colorless liquid hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic terpene. The more common d-isomer possesses a strong smell of oranges. The less common l-isomer is found in mint oils and has a piney, turpentine-like odor.Limonene takes its name from the lemon, as the rind of the lemon, contains considerable amounts of this compound, which contributes to their odor. Limonene: the principal industrial source, citrus fruit, contains d-limonene ((+)-limonene), which is the (R)-enantiomer. Racemic limonene is known as dipentene. d-Limonene is obtained commercially from citrus fruits through two primary methods: centrifugal separation or steam distillation.Link Aromatic Ring Double Link

CamphorCamphor is a waxy, flammable, white or transparent solid with a strong aroma. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel, a large evergreen tree found in Asia. Camphor can be synthetically produced from oil of turpentine. It is used for its scent, as an ingredient in cooking (mainly in India), as an embalming fluid, for medicinal purposes, and in religious ceremonies. A major source of camphor in Asia is camphor basil.The molecule has two possible enantiomers: the structure on the left is the naturally occurring (R)-form, whereas on the right is the (S)-form.

Methyl chavicol It's a phenylpropene, a natural organic compound. Its chemical structure consists of a benzene ring substituted with a methoxy group and a propenyl group. It is an isomer of anethole, differing with respect to the location of the double bond. It is a colorless liquid, although impure samples can appear yellow. It is a component of various trees and plants, including turpentine (pine oil), anise, fennel, bay, tarragon, and basil. It is used in the preparation of fragrances. Hundreds of tonnes of basil oil are produced annually by steam distillation of Ocimum basilicum (common basil). Aromatic Ring Double Link Link

TerpineolTerpineol (Chemical formula: C10H18O) is a naturally occurring monoterpene alcohol that has been isolated from a variety of sources such as cajuput oil, pine oil, and petitgrain oil. There are three isomers of terpineol, alpha-, beta-, and gamma-terpineol. Terpineol is usually a mixture of these isomers with alpha-terpineol as the major constituent. Terpineol has a pleasant odor similar to lilac and is a common ingredient in perfumes, cosmetics, and flavors . alpha-Terpineol is occasionally found as a volatile component in urine. It is a water-soluble component of the tea tree oil (TTO). Link Aromatic Ring Double Link

Methyl cinnamateMethyl cinnamate (Chemical formula: C10H10O2) is found in ceylan cinnamon. Methyl cinnamate occurs in essential oils from Ocimum and Alpinia species. Also present in various fruits, guava, feijoa, strawberry and in some culinary spices, such as Sichuan pepper and some varieties of basil. Methyl cinnamate is a flavouring agent. Methyl cinnamate is the methyl ester of cinnamic acid and is a white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. Eucalyptus olida has the highest known concentrations of methyl cinnamate (98%). Link Aromatic Ring Double Link

CAROTENOIDSCarotenoids, also called tetraterpenoids, are organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria and fungi. Carotenoids can be produced from fats and other basic organic metabolic building blocks by all these organisms. The only animals which produce carotenoids are aphids and spider mites, which got the ability and genes from fungi. Carotenoids from the diet are stored in the fatty tissues of animals, and only carnivorous animals obtain the compounds from animal fat.Aromatic RingDouble Link C=CLink C-C The aromatic ring produces the color, the flavour and the smell

CAROTENOIDS IN BASIL: LuteinLutein is a xanthophyll and one of 600 known carotenoids. Lutein is synthesized only by plants and like other xanthophylls is found in high quantities in green vegetables such as spinach, kale and yellow carrots. The human retina accumulates lutein and zeaxanthin. Zeaxanthin predominates at the macula lutea while lutein predominates elsewhere in the retina. There, it serves as a photoprotectant for the retina from the damaging effects of blue light. Lutein is isomeric with zeaxanthin, the only difference is the placement of one double bond.LinkAromatic Ring Double Link

ZEAXANTHINZeaxanthin, a yellow flavonoid carotenoid compound. A flavonoid is a natural chemical compound, common in fruit and vegetables, which are responsible for the vivid colours and have important health benefits. Zeaxanthin is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea where it serves as a filter from harmful UV rays. Studies suggest that common herbs, fruits, and vegetables that are rich in zeaxanthin antioxidant help to protect from age-related macular disease (AMRD), especially in the older adults.LinkAromatic RingDouble Link

BASIL,WHAT ELSE?