Scientists study biodiversity to understand the world's evolutionary past, develop conservation strategies and provide data, and to help exploit natural sources of medicines, chemicals and other products responsibly.

Classification (taxonomy) places living things in a series of increasingly specialised groups to indicate how they are interrelated. Classification schemes adopt the following major units:

Kingdom, Phylum (in animals)/ Division (in plants), Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Frieda Christie

Frieda Christie has a degree in Biological Sciences. She spent a year at St George's Hospital Medical School, London, running the Electron Microscope Unit before returning to Scotland.

She worked for 3 years in Haddington, followed by 6 years on an MRC grant at Edinburgh University's Royal (Dick) Schools of Veterinary Sciences.

Frieda currently runs the Electron Microscope Suite at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Her work has been published in various botanical journals and web sites, in a calendar and on the cover of the Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society.

She is at present involved in research on Aeschynanthus and working with artist Liz Douglas on a science/arts project.

"I wish to sincerely thank my colleagues at The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh for their valuable advice and enthusiastic support during the course of this project., and the staff of East Lothian Museums for lending their expertise to the exhibition's preparation."

Frieda Christie