The evolution of chemosystematics

Chemosystematics has been used by animals, including man, to distinguish plants and other beings useful for food and those best avoided. Originally unwritten, this knowledge has been formalized down the ages, until in modern times useful and harmful chemical constituents from relevant taxa have been identified and recorded. In return this knowledge has now been used to aid taxonomic distinctions of these plants, animals and micro-organisms. Advances in analytical instrumentation, in particular chromatography in all its forms, followed by electronic detection methods, has speeded these studies.