What is Botany?

Botany is the scientific study of plants. "Plants," to most people, means a wide range of living organisms from the smallest bacteria to the largest of living things - the giant sequoia trees. By this definition plants include: algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants. Today scientists believe bacteria, algae and fungi are in their own distinct kingdoms, but most general botany courses, and most Botany Departments at colleges and universities, still teach about these groups.

Because the field is so broad, there are many kinds of plant biologists and many different career and study opportunities available. Botanists interested in ecology study interactions of plants with other organisms and the environment. Other field botanists search to find new species or do experiments to discover how plants grow under different conditions. Some botanists study the structure of plants. They may work in the field, concentrating on the pattern of the whole plant. Others use microscopes to study the most detailed fine structure of individual cells. Many botanists do experiments to determine how plants convert simple chemical compounds into more complex chemicals. They may even study how genetic information in DNA controls plant development. Botanists study processes that occur on a time scale ranging from fractions of a second in individual cells to those that unfold over eons of evolutionary time.

Areas of Specialization in Botany, Organismal Specialization in Botany, Applied Botanical/Plant Sciences

The results of botanical research increase and improve our supply of medicines, foods, fibers, building materials, and other plant products. Conservationists use botanical knowledge to help manage parks, forests, rangelands, and wilderness areas. Public health and environmental protection professionals depend on their understanding of plant science to help solve pollution problems.

Areas of Specialization in Botany

	Plant Anatomy The study of plant cells and tissue.		Biophysics The study of the application of physics to plant life processes.
	Cytology The study of the structure, function, and life history of plant cells.		Ecology The study of the relationships between plants and the world in which they live, both individually and in communities. More Information
	Ethnobotany The study of the uses of plants by indigenous peoples.		Genetics The study of plant heredity and variation. Plant geneticists analyze genes and gene function in plants.
	Microbiology The study of microorganisms. Microbiologists may be specialized by organism (for example, microbiologists that study bacteria) of by a branch of biology (for example, Microbial Ecology).		Molecular Biology The study of the structure and function of biological macromolecules in plants, including biochemical and molecular aspects of genetics.
	Morphology The study of macroscopic plant form and life cycles. Morphologists also study the evolution and development of leaves, roots and stems.		Paleobotany The study of the biology and evolution of fossil plants.
	Palyology The study of pollen and spores.		Physiology Study of the functions and vital processes of plants. Photosynthesis and mineral nutrition are two examples of subjects studied by plant physiologists.
	Phytochemistry The study of the chemical aspects of plant life processes, iincluding the chemical products of plants (biochemistry).		Systematics The study of the evolutionary history and relationships among plants. This includes the classification and naming of plants. More Information
	Systems Ecology The use of mathematical models to demonstrate the role and use of plants as components of the ecosystem (i.e. concepts like nutrient cycling).		Taxonomy The subdiscipline of identifying, naming, and classifying plants. More Information

Organismal Specialization in Botany

	Bryology The study of mosses, liverworts and similar plants (Kingdom Plantea - Division Bryophyta with ~25,000 species). Consisting mainly of small plants restricted to moist enviroments the bryophytes are the second largest groupings of land plants. Bryologists study all aspects of these plants, including their identification, classification, and ecology. More Information		Lichenology The study of the biology of lichens (with ~18,000 species). Lichens are dual organisms consiting of an alga (phycobiont) and a fungus (mycobiont) in a mutualistic relationship. More Information
	Mycology The study of the biology of fungi (two Kingdoms, Kingdom Protista - (Divisions Myxomycota and Oomycota) and Kingdom Fungi - (Divisions Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota and Zygomycota) with over 75,000 species). Fungi have a tremendous impact on our world. They are crucial in the biosphere because they help recycle dead organic material. Some fungi are important producers of biological products such as vitamins and antibiotics. More Information		Pteridology The study of ferns and similar plants (Kingdom Plantea - (Divisions Psilophyta, Lycophyta, Schenophyta and Pterophyta) with ~12,000 species). Pteridologists study all aspects of fem biology. More Information
	Phycology The study of algae (2 Kin gdoms, Kingdom Eubacteria - (Division Cyanobacteria) and Kingdom Protisa - (Divisions Chlorophyta, Chrysophyta, Euglenophyta, Phaeophyta, Pyrrophyta and Rodophyta) with ~26,000 species), which are the base of the food chain in the aquatic environments of the world. These oranisms are believed to be responsible for over half of the photosynthetic carbon fixation on our planet! Phycologists that study algae in oceans are sometimes called Marine Botanists. More Information

Applied Botanical/Plant Sciences

	Agronomy Crop and soil sciences. Agronomists make practical use of plant and soil sciences to increase the yield of field crops.		Plant Breeding The development of better types of plants. Breeding involves selecting and crossing plants with desirable traits such as disease resistance.
	Biotechnology The study and manipulation of genes within and between species. Using biological organisms to produce useful products. Most people today have a narrower view of biotechnology as the genetic modification of living organisms to produce useful products. Plant biotechnology involves inserting desirable genes into plants and having those genes expressed.		Economic Botany The study of the utilization of plants by humans. The study of plants with commercial importance. Economic botany includes the study of botany harmful and beneficial plants and plant products.
	Food Science & Technology The development of food from vanous plant products.		Forestry The study of forest management and the utilization of forest products. More Information
	Horticulture The production of ornamental plants and fruit and vegetable crops. Landscape design is also an important subdiscipline in horticulture.		Natural Resource Management The responsible use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of society.
	Plant Pathology The study of the diseases of plants. Plant pathologists are concerned with both the biological aspects of disease and with disease management, or control. More Information

Keep going! You're just begining the amazing adventure into the science of botany. Explore the cover stories for the American Journal of Botany, additional botanical images & stories, and the all the other pages the Botanical Society of America's website has to offer.